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HISTORY 



OF 



WAUPACA COUNTY, 



WISCONSIN. 



By J. WAKEFIELD, 

Historian of Old Settlers' Society of Waupaca County. 



jV oF ZZi : ' 

D 

WAUPACA, WIS.: 

D. L. STINCHFIELD, 

18 9 0. 



6*?' 






Copyright, 1890, 
By J. WAKEFIELD and D. L. STINCHFIELD. 



Printed by D. L. Stinchfield, Waupaca, Wis. 
Bound bj' W. B. Conkey, Chicago. 



TO TIIK 

OLD SETTLERS OF WAUPACA COUNTY 

THIS VOLUME IS 

RESPECTFUIvLY DEDICATED 

' BY 
THEIR HISTORIAN. 



INTRODUCTION. 



In settling a new country the pioneer has mtich 
that is unpleasant and discouraging to contend 
with. Unbroken forests must be cleared away, or 
the tough sods of the prairie turned under, and 
the fields fenced and fitted for cultivation. Crops 
must be planted, and time given for them to come 
up, grow and mature. 

In the meantime the old settler must live. His 
family can not be carried safely through without 
food and clothing, coarse and scant, perhaps, but 
sufficient to sustain nature. How to procure them 
is often a difficult question with him. It is quite 
common to see the "hungry wolf at the door," 
literally as well as metaphorically. His is a con- 
stant struggle with want, aye, even hunger and 
cold; but he must live, and he struggles on, often 
dissapointed, but ever hopeful, for the blackest 
cloud may, and generally does have a ''silver 
lining." 

Is it any wonder that so many faint by the 
way, that so many get discouraged and return to 
their old homes, perhaps in the far East? Many 
more would move back if they could, but the new 



6 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

settler's stock of money is nearly expended in the 
purchase of his land, and in his first few tempo- 
rary improvements. So his only chance is to re- 
main, and there is where the blessing comes in ; 
being compelled to stay, he is obliged to ''work or 
starve." At length his enforced industry is re- 
warded, and many a formerly disheartened settler 
has lived to bless a poverty which has eventually 
made him rich in spite of himself 

In after years what pleasure the pioneer takes in 
listening to or relating incidents connected with 
his pioneer life! He looks back with a sort of 
mournful pleasure to those days and years of care, 
of disappointment, and often of actual want, and 
feels a real pride in the thought that his nerve and 
muscle, his mental and physical endurance, have 
wrought the great change that has taken place in 
his worldly affairs w^ithin so small a portion of 
one brief human life ; and his is a justifiable pride. 

The title of pioneer "is an honest title, and des- 
ignates the highest order of American nobility. 
One object of the present work is to collect statis- 
tics of the early settlement of our county, and to 
gather and preserve incidents and interesting rem- 
iniscences connected vsrith that early settlement. 
Our children may value them vsrhen our lips are 
unable to repeat them, and the only way to learn 
them will be to avail themselves of the labors of 
the historian. One by one our old settlers are 
leaving us. Every year performs its work. Soon 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 7 

the last pioneer will be reverenth- laid away in his 
final resting place, and there will be none to repeat 
to the coming generation the noble sacrifices and 
heroic labors of the past. 

It is not easy to write good history. To be en- 
tertaining and at the same time truthful should be 
the object of the historian. Our work may not be 
entertaining, but we have tried to make it truth- 
ful — to make it worthy of a place as a text book 
in every library in the county. Of course, we maj^ 
have made errors. To err is human. But we have 
been for years collecting our material, and flatter 
ourselves tha.t our mistakes will prove few. 

We take this occasion to acknowledge how 
much we are indebted to our friends for their 
valuable assistance; for without their help our 
work must have proved a failure. They have our 
thanks. 

If the public will take as much pleasure in perus- 
ing our pages as we have taken in preparing 
them, we shall be content. 

J. Wakefield. 

Fremont, 1890. 



TABLE OF CONTENTS. 

PAGE. 

INTRODUCTION 5 

CHAPTER I. 
Waupaca County— 'Jlie Indians— Here were Their Hunting 
Grounds — Their Degeneracy —Their Inhumanity Compared 

with that of the Whites 13 

CHAPTER 11. 
A Tragic Affair— Killing of an Indian by James, near 

Mukwa - Statement of Dr. Linde — Captain Powell 16 

CHAPTER III. 
A Bloodless Affray Between Indian Chiefs at Algoma, Win- 
nebago County — Pow-wa-ga-nien and Kish-ke-ne-kat 22 

CHAPTER IV. 
Our County- Its Boundaries — Soil— Natural Products — 
Cultivated Crops — Population — Climate — Lakes and Rivers . 28 
CHAPTER V. 
Surrender of the Indian Title— Government Survey — 
Preliminary Survey by AVilliam H. Mumbrue— Settlers' 
League — Incidents — Primitive Justice— Illustration — A 

Dutch Justice 40 

CHAPTER VL 
First Meeting of the County Board— First Election of County 
Officers— Organization of the Towns of Weyauwega, Mukwa, 

Waupaca, Embarrass, Centerville, and Dayton 49 

CHAPTER VII. 
Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca— County Officers 
Required to Hold Offices at Waupaca— Scandinavia and Farm- 
ington Organized— Judicial Election— County Seat Vote— 
Prohibition- Royalton and Caledonia Organized— Court to be 
Held at Mukwa— Judge Cate Elected 55 



10 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Meeting of the County Board at AVaupaca— Members from 
Belmont and Amherst Admitted — Town of Lanarlv Organ- 
ized—Building Committee Chosen— Vote on County Seat 62 

CHAPTER IX. 

Charges Against Me-llen Chamberlain— Vote on County 
Seat— First Meeting of the County Board at Weyauwega— 
Resolutions of the County Board on the County Seat Question. 65 

CHAPTER X. 

The Board for Peace— Summons to Mellen Chamberlain— 
lola and Union Organized— Township Poor System Abolished. 71 

CHAPTER XI. 

Town of Matteson— Helvetia— County Divided into Three 
Commissioner Districts — Board Adjourned to Waupaca — The 
County Jail— Committee on Poor House— Insane 74 

CHAPTER XII. 

Town of Mukwa— First Settlement— Village of JMukwa- 
Village of Northport— Smiley's Anecdotes— City of New Lon- 
don—The First School 81 

CHAPTER XIII. 
Town of Lind— First Settlers— Organization— First Officers- 
Fourth of July Celebration on Lone Pine Hill— A Temper- 

anceLesson 92 

CHAPTER XIV. 
Townof Dayton— Its History as Written by J. Holman in 

1876— farfrey's " Pepper Mill "—A Bear Story 96 

CHAPTER XV. 
Town of Farmington— Historical Sketch by C. L. Green- 
List of Early Settlers— An Old Railroad Project. 108 

CHAPTER XVL 
Town of Royalton— First Settlement in 1848 by Hicks Leut- 

hold, and Gill— A Good Farming and Stock Raising Town 112 

CHAPTER XVII. 
Town of Caledonia— First Settlement in 1849, by James 
McIIngh— Organized in 1853 115 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, 11 



CllArXER XYTII. 

Town of Fremont — First Settlement by D. Gorden in 
1849— Organized in 1855— Springer's Point— Village of Fre- 
mont Organized in 1888— Killing of Wau-ke-john 117 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Town of Union— First Settlement by Isaac Ames in 1855— 
Organized in 1858 — Experiences of Nathan Johnson— Sixteen 
Persons Sleeping on the Floor of a 16x20-Foot Shanty 127 

CHAPTER XX. 

Town of Dnnont — First Setllement by O. A. Qnimby in 
1857— Organizi'd in 1864— Village of Marion 133 

CHAPTER XXI. 

Town of St. Lawrence — First Settlement in 1852— Organ- 
ized in 1855— Its Part in the ''Connty Seat War"— A Corres- 
pondent's Account of the Great Indian Scare of 1862 136 

CHAPTER XXII. 

Town of Larrabee— First Settlement by Norman Clinton in 
]\rarch, 1855— The City of Clintonville— Norman C. Clinton— 
Chet. Bennett 148- 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Town of AVeyauwega — Settled in 1848 — Organized in 1852— 
Gills Landing Plank Road — An Indian Murder — A Sucker 
Story— Village of Weyauwega . , 156 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Town of Bear Creek— First Settlement by Welcome Hyde, 
in 1854— First Officers Elected in 1856— One of the Best Farm- 
ing Towns 164 

CHAPTER XXV. 

Town of lola— Settled in 1853— First Election of Officers in 
1855— Village of lola— Town of Harrison Created in 1890 166 

CHAPTER XXVI. 

Town of Helvetia— Settled in 1853— First Town Meeting in 
1861— Town of Wyoming Formed out of Helvetia in 1890. . . . . . 168 



12 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XXVII. 

Town of Miitteson— First Settlement in 1855, by Roswell 
Matteson, in Honor of Whom the Town was Named 17u 

CHAPTER XXVIII. 
A Chapter of Most Interesting Recollections by George W. 
Taggart, of Weyanwega — His Account of the Election of 1851. 172 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Town of Little Wolf— Settled in 1848 by William Goldberg— 
The Town was First Called "Centerville"— First Election of 
Officers in 1852 183 

CHAPTER XXX. 

Town of -Waiipaca—Settled in 1819— Organized in 1852— Vil- 
lage of Waupaca Incorporated in 1857— The City Incorporated 
in 1875 185 

CHAPTER XXXI. 

Town of Scandinavia— First Settlement in 1851— First Elec- 
tion of Officers in 1853— Village of Scandinavia 190 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Early Reminiscences of Waupaca County, Read at the Old 
Settlers' Meeting at New London, February 19, 1874, by W. F. 
Waterhouse, Historian 192 

CHAPTER XXXIII. 

The Old Settler's Society— Its Organization in 1872— List of 
Old Settlers— A Summary of Their Proceedings 203 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

List of County Officers Since the Organization, Compiled 
From the Records 215 

CHAPTER XXXV. 

List of Postoffices in Waupaca County, with Their Location. 218 
CHAPTER XXXVL 

Strange Indian History—Indian Prophet "Walking Iron" 
at New London Two Centuries Ago — The Great Indian Vil- 
lage — The Prophet's Harem 219 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 



CHAPTER I. 



AVaupaca County— The Indians— Here Their Hunting 
Grounds— Their Degeneracy— Their Inhumanity Com- 
pared with that of the Whites. 

The territory embraced in the present limits of 
Waupaca County was but recently the home of 
the red man. Here were his favorite hunting 
grounds. Here, on ever^^ side, were found the 
bear, the wolf, the elk, the deer, and other valued 
game. The numerous lakes, the ponds, the rivers, 
and smaller streams were stocked with almost 
every variety of fish; and no w^hite men were here 
to rob him of his heritage, or to circumscribe the 
limits of his hunting grounds. He was happ^^ — 
happy in his innocence — happy in his ignorance 
of the many ^wants which render the man of civil- 
ization discontented and miserable. He may have 
had his vices, but they ^were virtues in comparison 
with those taught him by the civilized whites. 

From being the type of a manly, noble race, he 
is but the weak, degenerate relic of a race just 
passing into oblivion. But a few more years and 



14 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

the last Indian will have disappeared — a few 
more, and all that will be known of him will be 
what little may be learned from tradition. The 
Indian has no history. 

Has the Indian been benefited by contact with 
civilization ? We think not. Even Christianity 
could not avert the doom of the poor red man. 
Strip him of his barbarism, and there would be 
nothing left. His nature is wild, and you can not 
change it. He can not be tamed, he will not be 
civilized. He may be '' Christianized," but that is 
unnatural. His destiny is to pass away — to make 
room for a superior race, that, perhaps, in turn to 
be supplanted ! 

We are apt to blame the Indian for his inhuman- 
ity in w^ar, for his murdering and scalping of help- 
less women and innocent children, for his torture 
of defenceless captives, and for other atrocious 
acts, and are ever ready to charge it to his barbar- 
ism. But is the barbarism of the aborigine pecu- 
liar? Has he been, is he now, any w^orse than the 
civilized white races? The Indian is cruel. The 
wars of Christian races are simply unjustifiable, 
unnatural, devilish ! The Indian tomahawks and 
scalps all, without regard to age or sex. The shot 
and shell of the Christian tear and mangle the 
quivering flesh of manhood, age, beauty and in- 
fancy, in the beleaguered town or city. The excuse 
is "necessity." That is a barbarian's excuse. 
But, it is said, the Indian tortures his captives, and 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 15 

burns at the stake those of his enemies who are 
unfortunate enough to fall in his power. That is 
cruel; but what tortures are inflicted by those 
whose creed teaches them better things ! How 
many poor, bleeding, moaning victims are taken 
from every Christian battlefield, to linger for da^^s, 
perhaps weeks, or even months in mortal agonies 
scarce exceeded, if equalled, by those felt by the 
victims of Indian cruelty and revenge ! 

We do not justify or excuse the Indian. We con- 
demn him for his cruelties, and wonder why 
humanity is permitted to fall so low. But we also 
condemn the barbarity of the whites. It is not in 
accordance with the true spirit of Christianity. It 
is quite a different spirit which governs the Chris- 
tian as well as the pagan world. Will the time 
ever come when nations as well as individuals 
shall learn to love and practice the ''golden rule?" 
Perhaps ; but present appearances do not indicate 
a speed^^ millenium ! 

'' Love your enemies "was the noblest, the grand- 
est doctrine] taught by our Saviour. The doc- 
trine of universal love is the best, the most at- 
tractive part of Christianity. But how few prac- 
tice it ! War is cruel, horrible, unchristian. It can 
be conducted only in blood and rapine. It arouses 
and sets in action all the baser passions in the 
human breast, whether in that of a heathen or of 
a Christian, and all the logic in the world can 
make it only what it is— an unmitigated curse ! 



16 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

How long have the Indians inhabited this conti- 
nent? Were they the original owners of the soil, 
or did they, take possession, perhaps thousands of 
years ago, of a country formerly held by a 
different race, long since extinct ? If they were not 
created here, where did they come from, and how 
long have they been here? They were powerful 
once, and must have possessed a sort of civiliza- 
tion. But, as we said before, they have no history. 
No hieroglyphics will ever give the antiquarian an 
excuse for guessing anything about their past. 
Their mounds tell us nothing definite, and even 
tradition has but little to say, and evidently lies 
when it does attempt to speak. In short, we 
know all we ever shall know of them, and that is 
that they are now what they ever will be — Indians ! 



CHAPTER II. 

A Tragic Affair— Killing of an Indian by James, near 
MuKWA— Statement of Dr. Linde— Captain Powell. 

The aborigines who inhabited this territory at 
the advent of the whites among them were, in the 
main, a quiet, inoffensive race. They knew that 
their white neighbors had come to disposess them 
of their favorite hunting grounds — had come to 
desecrate the burial places of their ancestors — had 
come to drive them and their wives and children 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 17 

into hopeless exile — in short, had come to stay. 
The thought was humiliating, and they must have 
keenly felt the humiliation. And yet they quietly 
submitted — with the quietness of despair — the 
stoicism of expiring barbarism. Civilization was 
about to pluck the last laurel from the brow of 
barbarism, Christianity to complete its grand 
triumph over heathenism. 

As might have been expected, occasional quar- 
rels occurred between them and the whites. But 
those quarrels could generall^^ be traced to the evil 
influence of bad v^^hite men, or bad whisky ; for an 
Indian, like his white brother, is sometimes quar- 
relsome while in drink. 

We shall take the liberty of relating a tragical 
aifair which occurred near Mukwa, between a 
white man and some Indians, in 1856. Dr. Linde 
and Walter James, a son of the great English 
novelist, G. P. R. James, Esq., went to Mukwa, in 
this county, on a hunting expedition. While James 
v^as out fire-hunting, one night, a difficulty occur- 
red with some Indians, which resulted in the death 
of one Indian and the wounding of two others. 

It is, perhaps, hard to say where the blame 
should rest, although at the time many very 
strongly blamed James, not deeming the provoca- 
tion sufficient to justify him in staining his hands 
with the blood of the Indian. 

We give an account of the unfortunate occur- 
rence as given by Dr. Linde in Harney s History of 



18 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Winnebago County. The doctor will be remem- 
bered by many of our old settlers : 

ENCOUNTER WITH INDIANS. 

Dr. Linde gives the following recital of a most tragical event 
which occurred near his place at Mukwa, during his residence 
there : 

" On a fine hunting-night in the latter part of June, 1856, Mr. 
Walter James went to a small lake near Mukwa, with his canoe, 
for the purpose of night-liunting deer. Fortunately he took the 
doctor's hunting-knife, a formidable weapon, made of the best 
steel, and weighing two and a half pounds. He found plenty of 
deer, but they would not take the water on account of the carous- 
als of three Indians, who, with their families, were encamped near 
the lake. James, being familiar with the Indians, and not antici- 
pating any trouble, went to their wigwams and asked them not to 
make so much noise, and let him have a chance at the deer. The 
Indians, who had drunk just about whisky enough to make them 
excitable and quarrelsome, then attacked him. One grabbed hiui 
by the throat, when James pulled out his big hunting-knife ; then 
the Indian grasped him by the fore arm, to prevent James from 
striking with it. But his desperation lent him strength, and the 
great weight of the weapon enabled him, by the strength of his 
wrist alone, to strike a blow which split the Indian's skull, when 
he fell unconscious. This was the work of a few seccmds. The 
Indian had no sooner released his hold on James and fallen, than 
another made a thrust at him with a knife ; but James, being a 
skillful swordsman, easily parried the thrust, and struck his an- 
tagonist on the right arm, with the intention of crippling him. 
The blow severed the bone between the elbow and the shoulder, 
barely leaving the artery uncut, and a shred by which the arm 
dangled. At the same instant that the second Indian made the 
thrust with the knife, the other grabbed the gun which James held 
in his left hand. The latter clung to the gun, which was loaded 
with buckshot, well knowing that his life depended on keeping it 
in his possession ; but, after he had disabled the second Indian, 
the third kept beyond reach of the knife, holding the gun by the 
barrel, while James held it by the breech. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 19 

"Seeing that he could not get within reach of the Indian with- 
out releasing his hold on the gun, he let go, and at the same instant 
jumped forward and made a desperate stroke at the Indian's head. 
The latter threw his head back, and received the blow in the left 
breast. It partly cut four of the ribs, and exhausted its force on 
the wrist, cutting deeply into the bone. The Indian then fled with 
the gun, and James followed in close pursuit, knowing well that it 
was a race for life ; for, if the Indian could get a sufficient distance 
ahead to turn and get a shot at him, he was gone. After ruiining 
a short distance, in which the Indian barely succeeded in keeping 
but a little more than an arm's length from James, the latter was 
tripped by a wild grape vine, and fell. At the same instant the 
Indian turned and leveled the piece at him, and pulled the trigger. 
When James saw the muzzle of the glistening barrel that con- 
tained twenty-four buckshot, he felt, for an instant, that his 
chances for life were narrow. The Indian, however, failed to dis- 
charge the gun, and James, quickly comprehending the reason, 
which was that the gun was at half-cock, jumped up and plunged 
down the bank of the stream, which was the outlet of the lake. 

"As the place where he happened to fall was near where he had 
left his canoe, it was the work of but a few moments to reach it, 
when he quickly paddled out into the lake, trusting that the ob- 
scurity of the night would prevent the Indian from getting a shot 
at him. This desperate encounter, up to the time when the Indian 
fled with the gun, occupied but a few seconds, as the three Indians 
attacked James simultaneously ; and, in fact, it was but a few 
minutes from the time he had landed to visit the Indians, until he 
was again out upon the lake. 

"Another man was on the lake in a canoe, watching for a chance 
at deer, a Mr. Jerroux, who owned the adjoining land. As the In- 
dians were making such a racket, he had lain down in his canoe to 
rest till the noise subsided, and had fallen asleep, unconscious of 
the tragical events transpiring so near him. James paddled out to 
him and, awakening him, related what had occurred, and request- 
ed him to go to the wigwam and see what condition the wounded 
were in. He went, came back, and reported to James, who imme- 
diately started for Dr. Linde, feeling that his services were much 
needed ; but the doctor, who had been at Weyauwega, was then 
on his return on a steamboat, which met James' canoe in the river. 
The latter was taken on board, and gave a recital of what had oc- 



20 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

curred. He showed the marks of the encounter, his neck still re- 
taining the indentations of all the finger nails of the hand which 
had grasped it. 

"On their arrival at Mukwa, the doctor took his surgical instru- 
ments, and, accompanied by James, went immediately to the wig- 
wam. The Indian whose skull was cleaved was still alive, but un- 
conscious and beyond the reach of surgical skill. He soon died. 
The one whose arm was nearly severed was attended to. The arm 
being cut slanting, it was found necessary to cut off the points, so 
as to square the ends, which was done. In due time the bone 
united, but the main nerve had been severed, causing paralysis of 
the arm, and leaving him a cripple for life. The wounds of the 
other were dressed, and the gashes sewed up; but about a year 
afterwards he died, it was reported from necrosis of the ribs, oc- 
casioned by the injury. 

" The fatal quarrel caused great excitement among the Indians, 
who flocked from all directions to the scene of the tragedy, and 
congregated in large numbers in the vicinity of Linde's, assuming 
a most threatening attitude. The settlers were in such great fear 
that the Indians had assembled for the purpose of taking revenge, 
that they dared not afford Linde any protection. He thought it a 
necessary precaution to send his little son, Fred, to Oshkosh. The 
doctor seemed to be involved in the trouble, from the fact that it 
was supposed hostility to him that provoked the attack on James, 
the Indians having, in the night, and in the frenzy of the moment, 
mistaken James for Linde, as the latter had caused the arrest and 
fine of some parties who had been selling whisky to the Indians, 
for the purpose of suppressing the evil, considering his life in 
danger when the Indians were in liquor, whereas, he had no fear 
of them when they were sober. 

" The doctor resolved to brave out the excitement, which for a 
time ran very high. One of his neighbors deserves to be remem- 
bered in this connection — a man by the name of John Thorn, a 
blacksmith, who offered to help Linde in the event of any attack 
on him. Linde believed if any hostile demonstrations were to be 
made it would be immediately ; so, the night he had sent Fred, he 
determined to keep a vigilant watch. Knowing that his dogs 
would giye prompt notice of any hostile approach, it was arranged 
that he should give Thorn notice, if he were needed, by discharg- 
ing a gun. The night passed without any disturbance, and in the 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 21 

morning Linde decided to empty one of his revolvers, that had 
been loaded for a long time. Forgetting his arrangement with 
Thorn, he commenced discharging the piece. After firing a few 
shots he happened to look in the direction of Thorn's house, which 
was just across a little marsh, when he discovered Thorn running 
toward him at full speed, with his rifle in one hand and hunting- 
knife in the other. There was, however, no need of his services, 
so they amused themselves for some time in shooting at a mark. 

"James Clark, of Winchester, as soon as he heard of the danger 
surrounding his friends, promptly came to their defense, and 
offered to stand by them till the danger was over. 

"After the Indians and their friends had fully investigated the 
sad encounter, it was settled — Indian fashion — one of the con- 
ditions of the settlement requiring James to consent to be adopted 
by the tribe as one of its members, taking the place of the one who 
was killed. He therefore became a Menominee by adoption. 

"Many who read the foregoing statement of James' desperate 
struggle on that, to him, memorable night may deem it an exagger- 
ation ; but the people who were living here at the time know the 
facts to be substantially as they are here stated, and will distinctly 
remember the circumstances. There were, it is true, some differ- 
ences of opinion as to where the chief blame of the encounter 
rested, some alleging that the Indians had cause of provocation in 
former attempts to drive them from Linde's hunting grounds ; but 
the general opinion seemed to be that it was not reasonable to sup- 
pose that James would go alone in the night, with any hostile in- 
tentions, to a wigwam of three able-bodied Indians, and that the 
reasonable conclusion was that he thought he could get them to 
quiet down and give him a chance to hunt — but they, mistaking 
him in the night for Linde, and being in the first stages of intoxi- 
cation, construed the visit into an attempt to drive them off, and, 
feeling belligerent, attacked him." 

We will add further that soon after the tragical 
affair at Mukwa, mentioned in the foregoing state- 
ment made by Dr. Linde, some one made complaint 
before Ira Sumner, Esq., a Fremont Justice of the 
Peace, who issued a warrant for the arrest of 



22 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

James. When the officer appeared in Fremont 
with his prisoner, the Justice was away from 
home, and not expected back very soon ; so James 
was allowed to go free. 

We believe the case went before the Grand Jury 
at the next term of our Circuit Court, but that 
body refused to find a ''true bill." 

A short time after the killing of the Indian, Mr. 
James called on us and requested us to see Cap- 
tain Powell, long an interpreter among the In- 
dians, and very influential with them, whom we 
had for some time been acquainted with, and \vho 
was then at Butte des Morts, and get him to use 
his influence to prevent violence on the part of the 
Indians, saying, "There has been blood enough 
spilt already." 

Upon our stating the business to Captain Pow- 
ell, he said that James needn't be excited, the In- 
dians didn't seek redress that way, they proposed 
to obey the laws. After a few moments pause he 
continued : " If it had been a nigger that was 
killed the whole community would be up in arms, 
but now it is only a d d Indian ! " 



CHAPTER III. 

A Bloodless Affray Between Indian Chiefs at Algo- 
MA, Winnebago County — Pow-wa-ga-nien and Kisii-ke- 

NE-KAT. 

Although the Indians have the reputation of 
being vindictive and bloodthirsty in their difficul- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 23 

ties among themselves, and especially among 
different tribes, we occasionally find them getting 
satisfaction for real or fancied injuries or insults in 
a manner quite humorous if not ludicrous. 

We shall relate an incident that occurred many 
years ago, in what is now Winnebago County, and 
which had quite a different termination from the 
one mentioned in the preceeding chapter. The ac- 
count is taken from Mitchell & Osborn's Historv 
of Winnebago County, published in 1856 : 

Pow-wa-ga-nien was a very celebrated chief of the Menoniinees. 
His great strength was equalled only by his bravery and noble- 
ness of spirit. He never would take the scalp of a woman or child, 
and it is related of him that on several occasions he defended the 
lives of those whom his warriors had subdued in battle. 

Kish-ke-ne-kat, or Cut Finger, head war chief of the Pottawat- 
tamies, was a great brave, and, like some successful white braves, 
somewhat of a bully. Among his habits was an ugly one of in- 
sulting the greatest brave of any tribe he might be visiting, and 
such was the awing effect of his reputation tliat none, as yet, re- 
sented it. As was his wont, he sent one of liis young men to Black 
Wolf, head chief of the Winnebagoes, to inform him of a visit he 
intended to pay to that chief, moved thereto by Black Wolf's great 
reputation as a brave. Black Wolf, knowing Cut Finger's habits, 
thought it best to get his Menominee friend, Pow-wa-ga-nien, to 
assist in dispensing his hospitalities to the Pottawattamie. There- 
in he showed his great wisdom. The Illinois chief made his ap- 
pearance at Black Wolf's village (Garlic Island) with three hun- 
dred warriors, and, not being expected there, did not find the chief ; 
so, according to custom, he started after him to Algoma, whither 
he had gone to a corn husking, on the planting ground of his 
friend Te-e-shaw. 

Black Wolf, by this time apprised of his coming, assembled his 
and the Menominee braves to receive him. On their arrival they 
sat down on a pleasant spot within hailing distance of their hosts. 
A young Winnebago, who could speak the Pottawattamie tongue, 



24 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

presented the pipe to the great chief with the usual compliments. 
While the pipe was going round, Cut Finger inquired which was 
Black Wolf. The interpreter pointed him out. 

" Who is that who seems to be great as he, sitting by his side ?" 

" That's Pow-wa-ga-nien, the great Menominee." 

Cut Finger's eyes snapped with delight at the prospect of 
humbling the great warrior before his young men. Bidding the 
Winnebago to tell Black Wolf that he would shake his hand, be- 
fore the young men arose he paid the usual courtesies to that chief. 
After these preliminaries were settled on both sides. Cut Finger 
asked : 

"Who is he, this who occupies a place of so much honor? lie 
must be a great Indian." 

"This is the bravest Menominee, Pow-vva-ga-nien." 

"Ah ! is that the great Pow-wa-ga-nien, who fills the songs of 
the nation ? Let me look at him." 

He walked all around the chief, examining him with the critical 
air of a horse jockey, Pow-wa-ga-nien all this time keeping pro- 
found silence, having a good idea of what it was going to 
amount to. 

"Well," at last broke forth Cut Finger, " you are a fine Indian, 
a great Indian, a strong Indian, but you don't look like a brave 
Indian. I have seen braver looking Indians than you in my 
travels. I am a great traveler. 1 think you must have got a great 
deal of your reputation by your size. You don't look brave, you 
look sleepy. Y^ou have no tongue, you don't speak.'' 

Then, telling the young Menominees that he was going to satisfy 
himself as to thecourage of their chief, he took hold of the bunch 
of hair the old warrior always kept on his crown for the conven- 
ience of any Sac or Fox who might find it necessary to scalp him, 
and gave him a good shaking, saying all the time, " You are 
sleepy, you have no tongue," and a plentiful supply of aboriginal 
banter. 

Pow-wa-ga-nien, aided by his strength and a neck that could 
withstand anything but rum, sustained but little damage from this, 
and submitted with Indian calmness until his tormentor had got 
through. 

After satisfying himself. Cut Finger announced to Black Wolf 
that he would go and sit among his warriors until Black Wolf gave 
the word to rise. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 25 

Pow-wa-ga-nien immediately set himself about fixing the flint of 
his Pottawattamie friend. He opened his sack and drew forth his 
cap of war-eagle feathers— itself equal to a small band of Sacs and 
Foxes— put it on his head, and picked up his lance and club. 

His young men feared an unpleasant result, but none dared to 
speak except his brother, who admonished him to "do nothing 
rash." One glance of Pow-wa-ga-nien' s eye, and an emphatic 
" Pm mad now ! " sent that respectable Menominee to his seat, 
excusing himself by saying that Pow-wa-ga-nien "knew what a 
fool he always made of himself when he got a-going." 

Stretching himself up to his full height, Pow-wa-ga-nien stalked 
toward the Pottawattamies in a style that excited the admiration 
of his friends— especially of old Black Wolf, who not only admired 
his friend, but also his own tact in shifting this particular scrape 
on to that friend's shoulders. 

"My friends," said the old brave to the Pottawattamies, "I am 
glad to see you here. You look brave— you are brave. Many of 
you I have met on the war-path ; some of your youngest I do not 
know, it being many years since I went to war. I am glad to see 
you look so well. I have heard much of your chief, but 1 don't 
think him very brave ; I think him a coward. He looks sleepy ; 
and I am going to see if he is worthy to lead such braves as you." 

Whereupon, throwing his weapons upon the ground, he seized 
the Pottawattamie chief by the hair, which he wore very long, as 
in prophetic anticipation of some such retribution, and continued 
to shake him until the young men remonstrated, saying they were 
satisfied. He stopped without relinquishing his hold, turned 
around his head, looked his followers down into silence, and shook 
again with the vim of a man whose whole heart was in the per- 
formance of an evident pious duty. The life was nearly out of 
Kish-ke-ne-kat, but the brave Menominee bore that individual's 
suffering with the same fortitude that he had born his own. Sat- 
isfied at last, he raised his emeny up by the hair, and threw him 
from him; at the same time he picked up his club and lance, and 
waited to see what he was going to do about it. 

Cut Finger raised himself on his elbow and rubbed his head, not 
daring to look up, while the Menominee invited him to look up and 
see a man, if he was one himself ; to "come and decide this matter 
like a man," which being unattended to, he went back to his seat 
at the right hand of Black Wolf, who had been all this time 



26 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

smoking with the utmost indifference, as, indeed, it was no affair 
of his. 

Kish-ke-ne-kat continued to recline on his arm, Pow-wa-ga-nien 
eyeing him all the time ; and when the Pottawattamie would steal 
a glance at the great war cap, the eye under it would make him 
turn again. At the same time his ears were assailed with: 

"Why don't you look up ? What are you afraid of? Come and 
talk to me," and such taunts. 

Cut Finger saw that his position among his young men was get- 
ting to be rather delicate, and the last invitation, as a means of 
reconciling all parties, met his view. So, rising and laying his 
hand on his sore head, he said: 

"My friends, there is no dodging the fact that Pow-wa-ga-nien 
is a braye, a very brave Indian — braver than I, and I'll go and tell 
him so." 

Gathering himself up, he walked over to the chiefs, and told 
Pow-wa-ga-nien that he had come over to shake him by the 
hand. 

" You are a great chief. I have shook many chiefs; none have 
resented till now. If you had submitted you would have been 
disgraced in the eyes of my young men. Now they will honor 
you. I am a great traveler. I am going to all the tribes of the 
South. I will tell all who have spoken well of you how you have 
used me. They will believe me, for I have pulled all their heads, 
as you have pulled mine. You are as great as if you had pulled 
theirs also. I^et us shake hands and be friends." 

Pow-wa-ga-nien, who was a good fellow at bottom, reciprocated 
the good feelings of the now friendly chief, an<l a lasting friend- 
ship sprung up between them, and showed itself in tbe interchange 
of presents every year as long as they both lived. 

The war-eagle cap which contributed so much towards this vic- 
tory is now in the hands of Pow-wa-ga-nien's son, and can be seen 
any time by those who doubt the truth of the foregoing. 

A tragical affair took place in the town of Win- 
neconne, among the Indians, after the town was 
partially settled. We shall copy it to illustrate 
the fact that love, jealousy and revenge are not 
exclusively Christian qualities : 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 27 

In tlie summer of 1849 there was a squaw among them, of no 
particular age, who claimed the affections of an Indian who 
was by many years her junior. She became jealous that her at- 
tachment was not reciprocated, and in her deep wrath at her fickle 
swain stabbed him in the breast, so that he died instantly. 

She was large, athletic and defiant. Few men were able to stand 
before her in a conflict. Their custom required the life of the 
murderer, but she announced that if any Indian attempted to in- 
flict the death penalty upon her there would be four or five more 
dead Indians. Apparently there was. little notice taken of the 
matter, and people supposed the murderess would go unpunished. 
The young chiefs were frequently passing from one band to an- 
other, none but themselves knowing or mistrusting their business. 

At length an Indian feast and dance was noticed to come off in a 
short time. The day arrived, and the Indians were all in atten- 
dance. Among them was one called "Old Pete," noted for his 
quiet, inoffensive character. The feast was passed, the dance com- 
menced, and hilarity was universal among them. 

"Old Pete" and the murderess were dancing with each other, 
the music was loud and exciting, the dance and mirth were at a 
high pitch, when the squaw shrieked and fell dead. 

Music and dance instantly ceased. The squaw had been stabbed, 
but the dancers knew not by whose hand the deed had been done, 
when "Old Pete" left the astonished company, walked to an emi- 
nence at a little distance, and stood with that stoical indifference 
which none but an Indian can assume. E. D. Gumaer (our in- 
formant) passed near him, looked him in the face and smiled. 
Pete relaxed his features and returned the smile, then again re- 
sumed a countenance of rigid indifference. He was reported to 
Oshkosh, the head chief, who said the act was done under the 
direction of the council of all the bands. All was right. Quite 
and harmony returned. 

A "squaw." 

No greater insult can well be given an Indian 
than calling hiin a "squaw." To be brave in bat- 
tle, expert Avith the rifle, and untiring in the chase 
are the three cardinal virtues wath an Indian, 



28 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

virtues which no female is supposed to possess. 
Hence, calling him one is a stigma which he is 
pretty sure to resent. 

We remember, over thirty years ago, near Fre- 
mont, meeting an Indian with a fine looking rifle. 
Taking the rifle in our hands, we asked him if he 
could shoot. He replied in broken English, ''Me 
shoot good." We then challenged him to a trial 
of skill with his gun. The challenge was promptly 
accepted. A target was placed, and each fired a 
shot, resulting in the defeat of the Indian, much to 
his disgust. Going up to the mark, we pointed to 
the two bullet holes, and in a joking way ex- 
claimed : ''Ugh! you shoot like squaw." The 
"squaw" fixed him, and he left us, the maddest 
Indian we ever saw. 



CHAPTER IV. 

Our County— Its Boundaries — Soil— Naturat. Products. 
Cultivated Crops — Population— Climate— Lakes and 
Rivers — Etc. 

Waupaca County comprises twenty-one town- 
ships, each six miles square, and twenty organized 
towns, as follows : Bear Creek, Caledonia, Day- 
ton, Dupont, Farmington, Fremont, Helvetia, 
lola, Larrabee, Lebanon, Lind, Little Wolf, Mat- 
teson, Mukwa, Royalton, St. Lawrence, Scandi- 
navia, Union, Waupaca, and Weyauwega. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 29 

The county contains 756 square miles, and 
483,840 acres. It is thirty miles in length from 
north to south, and twenty-four in width from 
east to west, except in the north tier of towns, 
where, by the addition of the town of Matteson 
on the east, it is six miles wider. 

It is bounded on the north by. Shawano County, 
on the east by Shawano and Outagamie, on the 
south by Winnebago and Waushara, and on the 
west by Portage County. In the northwest part 
of the county are many bluffs and hills. The soil 
there is in many places rather stony, not so easily 
worked, and not so fertile as in the valleys. In the 
rest of the county, with few exceptions, the sur- 
face is gently undulating, capable of being easily 
cultivated, and producing all kinds of crops 
usually raised in northern latitudes. 

The eastern and northern parts of the county 
are heavily timbered with hard and soft maple, 
oak, birch, cherry, btitternut, hickory, ash, elm, 
basswood, iron wood, pine, tamarac, spruce, pop- 
lar, and in some places beech and hemlock. The 
rest of the county is mainly oak openings. About 
three-fifths, prehaps more, is timbered land. 

The soil in the timber varies from a light sand, 
on the pine ridges, to a stiff, tenacious clay on the 
more level grounds. The sand, although light, 
can be easily kept in heart, and pays well for the 
trouble and expense of cultivation. Corn, buck- 
wheat, beans and potatoes do best on the light 



30 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

soils, while oats, wheat, peas and the grasses 
exhibit a decided partiality for clay or a heavy 
loam. In many parts of the '' openings " is much 
sand, yet there is much excellent soil to be found 
there, dark, rich, and in many places quite tenac- 
ious, yeilding the best of crops, and easily worked. 
Some of the best farms in the county are found 
among the openings. 

Winter wheat seldom kills out, and is much 
raised. Spring wheat also does remarkably well. 
In fact, Waupaca County may be put down as 
one of the best wheat counties, not only in Wis- 
consin, but of the entire Northwest. No county in 
the State can beat ours in the quality of that 
grain, and but few equal it, although some may 
excel us in the quantity on a given number of 
acres. Corn is a pretty sure crop ; even dent corn, 
which can not be raised in the same latitude East, 
seldom fails here, and is the crop \>rith us. Oats 
and buckwheat do well, but not so well as in 
man3^ of the eastern states, where the weather 
during the summer and early fall is cooler and 
more moist. 

POTATOES. 

Waupaca County may justly claim to be the 
''banner county" for the raising of that favorite 
esculent, the potato. While we are not behind 
other counties in a great share of the agricultural 
products successfully cultivated in northern lati- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 31 

tudes, the potato seems peculiarly adapted to our 
soil, our climate, and our tastes. Large fields are 
yearly cultivated — ten, twenty, and even forty 
acres are not uncommon — bringing fair returns to 
the cultivators when a reasonable price is secured. 

Years ago many predicted the ruin of our favor- 
ite fruit, and a speedy return to a turnip diet, 
when our common enemy, the Colorado beetle, 
vulgarly called the "potato bug," first made our 
acquaintance. But paris green saved us, and our 
fears proved groundless. 

To give an estimate of the total number of 
bushels of potatoes annually shipped from this 
county would test the nerve of even an honest 
historian. A careful estimate by one of our prin- 
cipal shippers places the amount for the season of 
1889 at two thousand car loads of six hundred 
bushels each; total, twelve hundred thousand 
bushels ! 

The cultivated grasses do well in the timber — 
better than in the openings. Red clover thrives, 
and is getting to be extensively cultivated, not 
only for stock, but to turn under as a renovator 
of the soil. The wild grasses are plentiful, very 
rich and nutricious, proving a great blessing to 
the hardy pioneer who has to depend upon them 
for his stock to subsist on during the summer, and 
for his winter's supply of fodder until he can clean 
up his farm and raise a supply of the tame kinds. 
Our woods are full of a species of bean which is 



32 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

eagerly sought after by our stock. There is also a 
kind of wild pea, which grows on the uplands, 
much relished by stock. It is likewise very plenti- 
ful in many of our natural meadows, often grow- 
ing from three to four feet high, and making ex- 
cellent hay. Although we can let our cattle run at 
large only a part of the year, and are obliged to 
fodder them more than half the time, stock raising 
pays well, and much money is made in the busi- 
ness. Of late, our people are taking more pains in 
the breeds, and much that is good is being intro- 
duced. Many prefer the ^' short horns." They and 
their crosses are becoming quite popular, although 
some cling to the Devons. For butter, the Jerseys 
and Alderneys can not be easily beaten, and the 
breeds in some localities are becoming the favor- 
ites, especially when crossed with the short horns 
to improve the size. 

Taking it all in all, this is an excellent dairying 
county. Much superior butter and cheese are pro- 
duced, which will compare favorably with any 
made in Wisconsin. Numerous cheese factories are 
in successful operation, producing as good an 
article as can be found anywhere, as the premiums 
and medals received by our citizens will attest. 

In horses we have some fine stock. Some of our 
horsemen are expending much money in that di- 
rection, and with a good prospect of success. 
Many of our farmers and others are becoming 
convinced that it costs but little, if any, more to 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 33 

keep a good horse than a stunted Indian pony or 
a miserable "scrub," and the clumsy, raw-boned 
"critter" of the slow past is being replaced hj the 
highbred carriage horse, or the reliable roadster. 

Sheep do remarkably well. Our native grasses 
agree with, and keep them always fat. They are 
seldom found diseased. Sheep raising would pay, 
provided wool brought remunerative prices. But 
while we have to depend upon the eastern market 
so much, the business is rather hazardous. 
Eighteen or tv^enty cents a pound does not and 
can not be made to pay. We need more home 
markets — more factories in the West, more en- 
couragement for hoiue industry. 

Fruit formerly did well, especiall3^ apples. Plums 
and cherries never were sure crops, although some- 
what extensively cultivated in some localities. 
But the very severe winter of 1873-74 injured all 
of the fine orchards of Wisconsin, and nearly 
ruined manj of them. At that time excellent orch- 
ards were being started in different parts of our 
county, but that winter discouraged many. Such 
a winter was never before known in this section 
of the country, and it is to be hoped that such a 
one will never again be experienced in Wisconsin. 
The very cold weather of that long-to-be-remem- 
bered winter, following so close upon the unprece- 
dented drouths of the preceding seasons, was un- 
doubtedly the cause of such general ruin in our 
apple orchards. 



34 PIISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

But our fruit growers are becoming more hope- 
ful, as well as more cautious. The lessons of the 
past will not soon be forgotten. They have 
learned to criticize very closely the claims of new 
varieties before trusting them, and not take the 
word of every itinerant tree peddler who may 
chance to come along. The Fox River Valley will 
yet prove favorable for fruit growers, and Wau- 
paca County will not be left far behind. 

Grapes do well, especially along the banks of 
our lakes, rivers and smaller streams. We venture 
the assertion that no county in the Fox River Val- 
ley can make much better exhibition of fine grapes 
than may be seen at our county fair every fall. 
There are many favorable localities in our county 
where grape raising would prove quite profitable. 

Strawberries, blackberries, raspberries and huck- 
leberries grow in profusion. But the great berry 
of Wisconsin is the cranberry. It is found wild in 
nearly all of our tamarac swamps, and is the 
berry with us. Thousands of barrels are picked 
annually and sent East and South for a ready 
market. Many are making handsome incomes 
from the business, and we can but think that the 
cranberry culture is but yet in its infancy, and will 
be a great source of revenue to those who have 
favorable locations. 

Small lakes abound in different parts of the 
county, whose clear, pure waters are stocked with 
nearly every variety of fish, while upon their 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 35 

placid bosoms are found flocks of rice hens, and 
the sportsman's favorites, wild ducks. Our rivers 
and smaller streams are the home of the pike, the 
pickerel, black and white or silver bass, perch, cat- 
fish and sturgeon, which are caught b^^ our wily 
anglers in great profusion. 

The large game of our forests is becoming scarce, 
having fled before their cruel, unrelenting enemy — 
man ; but the partridge, the squirrel, and the timid 
rabbit remain to furnish amusement for our juve- 
nile Nimrods, and sportsmen of bigger growth. 
P'arev^ell to the exciting days v^^hen the hunting of 
the deer, the bear and the savage wolf were but 
common pastimes. We welcome civilization, but, 
after all, can not quite forget the past joys and ex- 
citement of pioneer life in Wisconsin ! 

In the eastern and northern portion of this 
county there was much valuable pine, especially 
along the banks of the principal streams and their 
tributaries, and much lumbering was done, giving 
employment to many hands. The business is now 
carried on less extensively than formerly, the 
banks of the streams having been robbed of their 
treasures. The pine is now hauled in many cases 
several miles before being landed in the streams 
preparatory to being started on its winding way 
to market. But the supply is far from being ex- 
hausted, and it will be many years before the vast 
forests will be entirely stripped, and the last log 
floated to market. 



36 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The logs are mostly floated down the streams 
into the Wolf River, and down that to the boom, 
w^here they are rafted, and thence towed by steam 
tngs to Oshkosh, a large manufacturing city at 
the mouth of the Upper Fox River. A great many 
million feet each year formerh^ passed down the 
Wolf from and through this county, on the way 
to market. 

During the season of "driving," navigation on 
the Wolf River was, and is still, at times, much 
impeded by the running logs. But when a "jam " 
occured it might be days, and even weeks, before it 
could be broken so as to let steamboats through. 
Some faint idea of the immense magnitude of the 
lumbering operations formerly carried on in the 
Wolf River pineries may be gained from the fact 
that the Wolf River is from twenty to thirty rods 
wide, and yet that stream has often been com- 
pletely jamed with logs from bank to bank, for 
miles, and no way for boats to pass until the 
stream was cleared. 

The pine lands were mostly taken by speculators 
for the timber. As fast as that is removed the 
land is generally sold to settlers at low figures. As 
the pine grows mostly in clumps, on the ridges, 
there is scarcely a subdivision that does not con- 
tain much excellent soil well suited for agriculture. 

The Wolf River flows through the eastern part 
of the county, and is navigable for large steam- 
boats at all stages of the water. The Little Wolf 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 37 

River empties into the Wolf at about the center of 
the town of Mukwa, and is valuable chiefly on 
account of its excellent water powers. So, also, 
is the Embarrass River, which empties into the 
Wolf at New London. The Waupaca River also 
possesses valuable water power. The Pigeon River 
in the northern. South Branch of the Little Wolf 
in the central, Crystal in the southwestern, and 
Little River in the southern, are all excellent water 
powers, and much improved. 

Our railroad facilities are good. The Wisconsin 
Central enters the county near the southeast cor- 
ner, and passes through it in a northwesterly di- 
rection, on its way towards Lake Superior. The 
Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul road enters the 
county at New London, running \vestward, and 
making connection with the Central at Amherst 
Junction, in Portage County, a few miles west of 
the west line of Waupaca Count\^ The Milwau- 
kee, Lake Shore & W^estern passes through that 
portion of the city of New London lying in Outa- 
gamie County, touches two sections in Lebanon, 
cuts off the northeast corner of Bear Creek, and 
crosses the towns of Larrabee and Dupont. Fre- 
mont, Weyauwega, Waupaca and Sheridan are on 
the Central ; New London, Northport, Ostrander, 
Royalton, Manawa, Ogdensburg and Scandinavia 
on the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul ; and New 
London, Clintonville, Buckbee and Marion on the 
Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western. 



38 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Our winters are rather cold, but not colder than 
in the same latitude farther east. But our snows 
are much less — none too much for good sleighing, 
and often not enough for that. We seldom get 
much snow until after New Year. The cold 
weather generally comes on gradually during the 
month of December, and continues without much 
change until about March. Vegetation starts 
rather late in the spring, but it grows rapidly 
when it does get started, and comes to maturity 
early. 

Our climate is very healthful. There are no mi- 
asmatic diseases, and but few " pulmonary com- 
plaints. The air is pure, bracing and invigorating, 
and somewhat exhilirating. Many in the incipient 
stages of pulmonary complaints at the East have 
been permanently "benefited by coming here. The 
water here is good, and can generally be obtained 
by digging from ten to twenty-five feet. In many 
parts of the county artesian or flowing wells are 
readily obtained by boring from seventy to one 
hundred feet. In most parts of the county are 
clear, running streams, affording an abundance of 
excellent water for stock and other farm uses. 

Some towns in the county are settled mainly b^^ 
emigrants from the Middle and Eastern States. A 
few have a large proportion from Germany, Den- 
mark, Norway and other parts of Europe. Sober, 
intelligent, industrious and enterprising, as the 
majority of them are, it is no wonder than our 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 39 

county is so rapidly improving in wealth and real 
prosperity, and that it already ranks among the 
leading counties of Northern Wisconsin. 

In every neighborhood are found free schools, 
w^here the children of the poor, as well as the sons 
and daughters of the wealthy, enjoy all the ad- 
vantages of a liberal education. Our school code 
is one of the best in the world. 

Taxes are, perhaps, rather higher than in some 
of the older states, as must of necessity be the case 
in a new country, w^here there is so much to be 
done in the way of building school houses, laying 
out and finishing roads, building bridges, etc. 

The emigrant from Europe or the Eastern States, 
in search of a permanent home, would do well to 
take a look at some of our Wisconsin counties be- 
fore roaming farther towards the setting sun. 
Here he will find a climate healthful and invigorat- 
ing. Not so in many other Western States. He 
will find here a good soil, pure water, plenty of 
wood, cheap lands, a ready market, and no grass- 
hoppers! Near the Rocky Mountains he may not 
be so fortunate. Our sober, intelligent population, 
ourschools, our churches, our good society, present 
no mean attractions to the immigrant raised in 
the older states, or in any other part of the world. 

Wisconsin counties are becoming rapidly settled. 
In a few years the man of small means will be 
obliged to ''go farther west." Our farms will ma- 
terially increase in value, villages will spring up, 



40 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

and many of them will become important cities. 
Manufactories will be needed, mechanics will pros- 
per, and the man who this year or the next invests 
his small capital in Wisconsin property may in a 
few years be ranked among the wealthy men of 
the great and rapidly growing Northwest ! 



CHAPTER V. 

SlTHKENDEU OF THE INDIAN TiTLE — (JOVEUNMENT .STRVEYS 

— Preliminary Survey by William 1). Mitmbrue —Set- 
tlers' League —Incidents — Primitive Justice — Illus- 
tration—A Dutch Justice. 

Comparatively, it has been but a few years since 
the Indian Title to the lands in Wanpaca county 
was extinguished, and the final surrender made to 
the whites, on the first day of June, 1852. On the 
east side of Wolf River the whites had come into 
possession several years previoush^ The govern- 
ment survey on the east side of Wolf River was 
made by Hon. Theodore Conkey, in 1848. The 
survey in the towns of Fremont, (the part west of 
the river), Weyauwega, Mukwa, Royalton, Little 
Wolf, Union, Lebanon and Bear Creek was made 
by Samuel Perrin,in 1852; in the towns of Larra- 
bee and Dupont, and the north half of Helvetia, 
(Township 25, Range 12), by A. V. Balch, in the 
winter of 1852-53 ; in the town of Matteson by 
A. V. Balch and Ira Sumner, in March, 1853; in 

Township 25, Range 11, by Huntington, in 

the fall of 1853. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 41 

Previous to the government surveys, settlers had 
commenced pouring into the ''Indian lands," as 
this section of the country was then called. Claims 
were being staked out and made, and the tents and 
log cabins of the squatters were appearing on 
every side. Still, all was uncertainty. Where the 
lines would finally come, or on whose lands their 
improvements v^ould prove to be, the settlers were 
profoundly ignorant. It was trusting to the future 
with a vengeance, and the people fully realized 
their situation. Accordingly, in order to approxi- 
mate at least a probability, William B. Mumbrue 
was employed to run a line from some known point 
on the Wolf River, through the settlements to the 
north and west, as a sort of basis on which to 
make their claims. 

In August, 1849, Mr. Mumbrue made his survey. 
Commencing on the east bank of the Wolf River, 
at the meander post between Sections 12 and 13, 
in Township 21 north, of Range 13 east, he con- 
tinued a line westward and northward, blazing his 
way to Waupaca and beyond. That line was used 
as a base for laying off claims. When the land was 
afterwards surveyed officially, the lines in some 
places varied somewhat from Mr. Mumbrue's, as 
might have been expected, causing much trouble 
and perplexity. The difficulties thus raised were, 
how^ever, usually settled by the pioneers in a man- 
ner satisfactory to all. 

In a new country there is always more or less 



42 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

''jumping of claims," whereby one person en- 
deavors to get possession of and hold the land 
claimed by another. Watipaca County was no ex- 
ception to the general rule. In such cases the in- 
jured parties have but one of three courses — to 
quietly submit, to resist the trespasser, or to call 
upon the community for protection. The old pio- 
neers of this county were law-abiding citizens, and 
consequently could choose only the latter course. 
They effected an organization, a sort of league, 
having for its object the protection of one 
another's rights, especially pre-emption rights. 
Members were pledged to stand by one another in 
all cases of injustice affecting an^^ of them. A com- 
mittee of three were chosen, to whom all com- 
plaints were to be made, and who were to investi- 
gate all complaints laid before them, and report 
their decisions to the members of the society or 
league. 

The first committee chosen, we believe, were as 
follows : Benjamin Birdsell, Claudius F. Eaton 
and Alonzo Rudd, who were to act as arbitrators 
in all " cases arising under the code ! " 

Upon receiving notice of a decision by the com- 
mittee, the members were prompt in its inforce- 
ment; and we are happy to say that those de- 
cisions were generally in accordance with right and 
justice, a thing which can not be always said of 
the decisions of some of our modem courts. 

A few examples of their mode of proceeding may 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 43 

not be entirely uninteresting to the reader. One 
case occurred in what is now the town of Lind. 
A man called '' Doc " Baxter had a claim on what 
is now the site of the Hatton Mills. He had put 
up a board shanty, and commenced some improve- 
ments, although he did not stay on his claim all of 
the time. One day upon his return after a short 
absence, he was very much surprised to find his 
dwelling converted into a stable, and another 
shanty standing near, which had been erected dur- 
ing his short stay away from home. And, what 
made matters more mysterious, the shanty was in- 
habited. One thing was very certain to his be- 
wildered mind — some one had taken advantage of 
his temporary absence to ^' jump " his claim. 

Upon pushing inclines a little further, he learned 
that the shanty was occupied by a man known as 
" Old Zach," who was not a very gentle customer 
to deal with in such matters. 

Baxter went to him and tried to reason with 
him upon the injustice and impropriety of his 
course, but was promptly told that he, Zach, had 
as much right there as anybody; that they all 
were trespassers ; and, in short, that he could and 
would hold the claim. 

Finding the case hopeless, Baxter at once laid 
his grievance before the committee, and demanded 
an investigation. They met and proceeded to the 
disputed territory. Zach was as stubborn with 
them as with Baxter, and finally defied them or the 



44 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

league to oust him, at the same time gently hint- 
ing that he kept a well loaded rifle in his shanty, 
and should not hesitate to use it if interferred with. 
After learning the facts in the case, the committee 
decided in favor of Baxter, the original claimant, 
and. ordered Zach to leave — an order much easier 
to make than to enforce. 

As Zach would not go, Baxter resorted to the 
league. Notifying the members of the case and the 
decision of the committee, he demanded redress. 
So, one night about twenty of the settlers assem- 
bled at Fremont and Little River and started for 
the scene of action. Arriving within about twenty 
or thirty rods, a party of three were sent in ad- 
vance to hold a parley with the besieged. March- 
ing up to the shanty, they found it dark and omi- 
nously silent. Calling to the garrison, they de- 
manded an immediate surrender, threatening all 
manner of dreadful things if they were obliged to 
storm the works. No response came from within. 
Upon a repetition of the summons came the re- 
sponse: "Go to ! " a place not believed in by 

the unorthodox. At the same time Zach reminded 
them that he had a loaded rifle, and would send 
them there unless they immediately withdrew. 
He was promptly informed that resistance would 
be worse than useless ; that if he fired he wouldn't 
be apt to hit but one, and before he could load and 
fire again he would be dangling on one of the limbs 
of a neighboring tree. The last important inform- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 45 

ation had a wonderful effect upon his courage, but 
he refused to yield. 

At a signal from the party, up came the main 
body, hooting and yelling like so many savages, 
and making for the shanty. Down came the door, 
and crash went one side of the shanty. Seizing his 
rifle and blanket, our gallant squatter sprang 
through the opening in the side of the shanty, and 
made for the woods, followed by half a dozen 
yelling assailants, who were very careful, however, 
not to catch him ! The party next took an in- 
ventory of all the effects of the late occupant, and 
then loaded them all into his wagon, which stood 
near. Then they completely demolished the build- 
ing, handsomely piling up all the lumber belonging 
to Old Zach. 

Subsequently, before Judge Ware, of Waupaca, 
Zach brought an action for trespass against many 
of the parties, but the defendants swore it away 
before Justice Boyd, of Little River, and somehow 
it went from there to Esquire Brandy, at Mukwa, 
the only remaining Justice in the county, where a 
verdict was rendered for the defendant. We believe 
Old Zach finally managed, somewhere, to obtain 
a judgement against part of the defendants. 

Another case occurred at Springer's Point. W. 
A. Springer bought a claim where the village was 
afterwards located . Subsequently the man got sick 
of his bargain, and managed to get possession of 
the block house standing on the property. Not 



46 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

being able to persuade him to leave, Mr. Springer 
appealed to the committee, who decided against 
the interloper. As he failed to '^ vamose the ranch " 
according to orders, the settlers took the matter 
in hand, and the following night a number of them 
paid the house a visit, and insisted upon his leav- 
ing; but he stoutly refused. In the meantime some 
of the boys went up stairs and began to lift on the 
roof, making the very rafters crack. That brought 
the occupant to terms. He consented to an ar- 
rangement that placed Mr. Springer in possession 
of the property. 

A man by the name of Rowley had a claim on 
the west side of the river, at Fremont, with a 
shanty on it. He boarded on the east side. His 
shanty was filled with shingles, which he had been 
buying of the settlers. One morning, upon going 
on his claim, he found his shingles nicely piled on 
the outside, and a family in their place. Upon an 
investigation of affairs he found that ''old man 
P " had been "jumping his claim.'' The com- 
mittee was notified, but could do nothing with 

him, P insisting that he had as much right 

there as any one. So, judgement w^as given against 
him, and that night the matter was taken in hand 
by the settlers. Going to the house, they found the 
door bolted and barred, and no chance for a par- 
ley. Getting a large pole, and mounting it on half 
a dozen stalwart shoulders, they went for that 
door w^ith a vengeance. At the first charge of the 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 47 

battering ram the door was landed in the middle 
of the room, followed by a dozen assailants. But 
the woman had pluck, and showed fight. Striking 
out from the shoulder, she took one of the fore- 
most of her assailants between the peepers, mak- 
ing him see more stars than he ever did before in 
so limited a time! But the citadel finally yielded, 
and the garrison was permitted to evacuate, which 
it did in good style, leaving Rowley in possession. 
Many similar incidents might be related, but 
enough has been told to give an idea of the man- 
ner of obtaining justice adopted by the first set- 
tlers, not only of Waupaca County, but of other 
counties in early times. Such a course might be 
objected to at the present day, when we have all 
the machinery of law in operation, but it was ef- 
fective then, in those rather rude times. We are 
not quite sure but a little primitive justice might 
be beneficial once in a while, even now. Long, vex- 
atious delays to defeat justice were then unknown, 
or very rare. Social standing had less influence in 
such matters then, and verdicts ^were not common- 
ly sold for money. Their decisions were prompt, 
honest, and speedily executed. But as society has 
improved since those early days, there has been 
a great change in many of the practices of our 
courts, although there is room for still further im- 
provement. We have sometimes thought that if 
all suits were decided by lot our juries would give 
about as many correct verdicts as they do under 



48 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

the present system! In fact, we have known of 
their being so decided, and giving good satisfac- 
tion, too — at least to one side, and that is more 
than they always do at the present time. 

Some of our earHer Justices had a perfect aver- 
sion to any law books except the Statutes. What 
they could not find there was of no great account. 
When a man was fortunate enough to get elected 
Justice of the Peace, the next hard work was to 
procure his library, which generally consisted of 
an old form book, oftener of some other State, and 
the Revised Statutes. He was then ready for busi- 
ness, and woe to the attorney or pettifogger who 
attempted to introduce decisions of the higher 
courts! Wasn't a Wisconsin Justice a court by 
himself, and about as dignified a body as could be 
found — high enough, in all conscience! 

We remember having the management of a case 
before a certain Wisconsin Justice some twenty 
odd years ago. In the course of the trial we found 
a point where we differed with the Court, and in 
order to sustain our position produced a couple of 
law books and commenced reading from them. 
Pretty quick the Justice asked us what books we 
were reading from. We told him, mentioning the 
names of two standard works. He told us that 
we might put up our books; he didn't care how 
much law they contained, the Statutes contained 

all the law he wanted, and he'd bed if he'd have 

any other books brought into his court! There 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 49 

was a model Justice, and a match for the Dutch 
Justice we knew of in the State of New York, who, 
when an attorney commenced quoting from John- 
son's and Wendall's Reports, interrupted him; 
and, when the lawyer claimed that what he read 
was law, rather tartly replied : '^ That may be de 

law of de Supreme Court, but by it ish not de 

law of dish court ! ' ' 



CHAPTER VI. 

First Meeting of the County Board — First Election of 
County Officers — Organization of the Towns of 
Weyauwega, Mukwa, Waupaca, Embarrass, Center- 
viLLE, AND Dayton. 

The County and Town of Waupaca was organ- 
ized by legislative act, approved February 17, 
1851, the county seat being temporarily establish- 
ed at Mukwa. The first election was held at 
Mukwa, April 1, of that year. The following is a 
list of the officers chosen at that election : 

Chairman, David Scott; Supervisors, Tyler Cald- 
well and Peter Meiklejohn; Town Clerk, C. L. Gu- 
maer ; Justices of the Peace, Moses Chandler, Al- 
bion Brandy, S. F. Ware, and John Boyd. 

The first meeting of the new Board was held at 
the house of H. Rolph, in the Village of Muwka, 
"the county seat of Waupaca County," May 6, 
1851. 

The Chairman, David Scott, being absent, Tyler 



50 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Caldwell was chosen Chairman, ''by agreement." 

The office of Treasurer being vacant, G. W. Tag- 
gart was appointed to fill the vacancy. 

A bounty of $5 was voted at that meeting for 
each wolf killed in the County. 

At said meeting the County was divided into 
eight road districts, as follows : 

District No. 1: ''AH the surveyed land in the 
County lying east of the Wolf River, to a line run- 
ning east and west opposite the mouth of Tomor- 
row River, thence west." R. Nichols was appoint- 
ed overseer. 

District No. 2: "All the surveyed land in said 
County lying east of the Wolf River, commencing 
at a line running east and west opposite the mouth 
of Tomorrow River." Ira Sumner was appointed 
overseer. 

District No. 3: " Commencing at the main Wolf, 
opposite Mukwa, running up said river to the Em- 
barrass, thence up said river eight miles, thence in 
a west line to Meiklejohn's Mills, thence south to 
the main Wolf in Waupaca County." B. F. Phil- 
lips was appointed overseer. 

District No. 4: "All south of the big marsh in 
Town Twenty-one (21)." G. W. Taggart was ap- 
pointed overseer. 

District No. 5: "All land lying west and south 
of Spencer's Marsh, including all that is called the 
Pleasant Valley Country." Aaron Forbes was ap- 
pointed overseer. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 51 

District No. 6: (No bounds to be found on the 
records). Wilkison Chandler was appointed over- 
seer. 

District No. 7: ''Running south to the Hne of 
Town Twenty-one (21), thence half way between 
Little River Mills and Tomorrow Mills, thence 
north to the Wolf River." Benjamin Birdsell was 
appointed overseer. 

District No. 8: "Running south to the line of 
Town Twenty-one, thence half way to Tomorrow 
Mills, thence south to the Wolf River." John Boyd 
was appointed overseer. 

QUALIFYING OF FIRST JUSTICES. 

The official bonds of Moses Chandler, S. F. Ware, 
Albion Brandy, and John Boyd, as Justices of the 
Peace, all dated April 2, 1851, were filed — Moses 
Chandler's being the first on the records. James 
Smiley, W. B. Millard, and R.Nichols were security 
for Brandy, and G. W. Taggart and W. G. Cooper 
for the others. 

Also, on the same date, the bond of G. W. Tag- 
gart, as County Surveyor, in the penal sum of $1,- 
000, was filed. His securities were Tyler Caldwell, 
W, G. Cooper, and John Boyd. 

At the next meeting of the Board, held at Muk- 
wa, October 7, 1851, two voting precincts were 
made by said Board, one at the house of W. G. 
Cooper, in said County, and one at the house of A. 
Tibbetts, in Weyauwega, for the general election 
in November. 



52 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

FIRST ELECTION OF COUNTY OFFICERS. 

• At the April election the following County of- 
ficers were elected : 

For Sheriff, John M. Vaughn ; Register of Deeds, 
W. G.Cooper; County Treasurer, C. E. P. Hobart ; 
County Surveyor, George W. Taggart; Clerk of 
Supervisors, James Smiley; Coroner, John Boyd. 

REPORT OF SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT. 

The annual report of Simon C. Dow, "Town 
Superintendent of Schools for Waupaca County," 
for the year ending August 31, 1851, gives the fol- 
lowing information : 

Whole number of districts separately set off in 
said towns, 8. 

Number of districts from which reports have 
been made, 4. 

Number of months a school has been taught in 
each of such districts, 3. 

Public money raised, none. 

Number of male children in said districts, 90. 

Number of female children in said districts, 75. 

Average wages paid female teachers, $6. 

Amount raised and expended, $72. 

Whole valuation of school houses, $350. 

NOVEMBER ELECTION, 1851. 

The whole number of votes cast in Waupaca 
County at the general election held November 4, 
1851, was 127. At that election the following 
County officers were elected : 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 53 

For County Treasurer, Simon C. Dow; Register 
of Deeds, James Smiley; Coroner, John Boyd; 
Clerk of Supervisors, James Smiley ; County Sur- 
veyor, Ira Sumner. 

FIRST DIVISION OF THE COUNTY. 

At a meeting of the County Board, held at the 
house of H. Rolph, in the Village of Mukwa, 
March 5, 1852, at which were present Tyler Cald- 
well, Chairman, and David Scott and Peter Meikle- 
john. Supervisors, six towns were set off as fol- 
lows : 

Township 21, in Ranges 11 and 12, to constitute 
a town by the name of Lind, (that being the first 
town set off in the County) ; the first town meet- 
ing to be held at the house of Thomas Spencer, on 
the first Tuesdaj^ of April next following. 

Township 21, and south half of 22, in Range 13 
east, to constitute a town by the name of Weyau- 
wega; the first town meeting to be held at the 
house of R. Baxter. 

Townships 21 and 22, in Range 14 east, to con- 
stitute one town by the name of Mukwa ; the first 
town meeting to be held at the house of Horace 
Rolph. 

Townships 21 and 23, Range 11 east, and Town- 
ship 22, Range 12 east, to constitute one town by 
the name of Waupaca ; the first town meeting to 
be held at the house of Mr. Mackintosh. 

Townships 24 and 25, in Ranges 11, 12, and 13, 



54 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Township 23, in Ranges 12 and 13 east, and the 
north half of Township 22, in Range 13 east, to 
constitute one town by the name of Centerville; 
the first town meeting to be held at the house of 
Peter Meiklejohn. 

Townships 23, 24 and 25, in Range 14 east, and 
Township 25, Range 15 east, to constitute one 
town by the name of Embarrass ; the first town 
meeting to be held at the house of A. Wheeler. 

NOVEMBER 10, 1852 — MEETING OF THE COUNTY 
BOARD AT MUKWA. 

Members present — James Meiklejohn, Town of 
Centerville; Melzor Parker, Town of Weyauwega; 
Samuel Keene, Town of Embarrass; Charles Bead- 
leston, Town of Lind. 

Absent — Representatives from Mukwa and Wau- 
paca. 

The following assessments were made and taxes 
levied : 

Weyauwega, equalized at $11,639.50 — 3^ 
mills. County and School, $407.38. 

Mukwa, equalized at $292.26 — 3 V2 mills, County 
and School, $1,022.91. 

Lind, equalized at $3,590 — SVq mills, County 
and School, $125.68. 

Waupaca, equalized at $10,000 — 3^4 mills, 
County and School, $350.00. 

A County seal was ordered, and the ordinance 
giving a bounty of $5 on wolves was repealed. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 55 

The first order issued, of which any record can 
be found, was dated November 10, 1852, given to 
James Smiley, — No. 1, $99.74. 

NOVEMBER ELECTION, 1852. 

The total number of votes cast in the County at 
said election was 187, an increase of 60 since No- 
vember, 1851. 

The following officers were the winners at that 
election : 

For Register of Deeds, Seth Warner; Treasurer, 
Simon C.Dow; Clerk of the Board, Melzor Parker. 



CHAPTER VII. 

Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca— County Of- 
ficers Required to Hold Offices at Waupaca — Scan- 
dinavia AND FaRMINGTON ORGANIZED — JUDICIAL ELEC- 
TION — County Seat Vote — Prohirition — Royalton and 
Caledonia Organized — Court to be Held at Mukwa 
— Judge Cate Elected. 

At an adjourned meeting of the County Board, 
held December 7, 1852, Samuel Kerr was elected 
Chairman. 

Members present — Samuel Kerr, Chairman, Em- 
barrass; W. N. Davis, Mukwa; E. S. Hammond, 
Centerville ; Charles Beadiest on, Lind. 

Members absent — Representatives from Weyau- 
wega and Waupaca. 

At that meeting Township 21, Range 11, was 
taken from the Town of Lind and made a seperate 



56 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

town, called Dayton ; the first town meeting to be 
held at the house of Lyman Dayton. 

The Town of Centerville was assessed at $3,500. 

A tax of one cent on the dollar was voted for 
County purposes, and two and a half mills for 
School purposes. 

The Clerk of the Board and the Register of Deeds 
were allowed $3.50 for stationery for their re- 
spective offices. 

Amount raised for County and School purposes, 
$869.36. 

At a special meeting of the County Board of 
Supervisors of Waupaca County, held at the Vil- 
lage of Waupaca, April 15, 1853, the following 
members were present : 

Waupaca, E. C. Sessions ; Lind, J. J. Jones ; Day- 
ton, W. C. Carr; Weyauwega, L. Bostedo ; Muk- 
wa, James Smiley; Centerville, A. P. Jones. 

The representative from Embarrass was absent. 

E. C. Sessions, of the Town of Waupaca, was 
elected Chairman. 

A motion was carried requiring the Sheriff, Reg- 
ister of Deeds, Clerk of the Court, and Clerk of the 
Board of Supervisors, to remove their several of- 
fices to the Village of Waupaca. 

The vote on the motion was as follows : Yeas 
— J' J- Jones, W. C. Carr, A. P. Jones. Nays — L. 
Bostedo, James Smiley. 

Gothic Hall was the place designated for holding 
the Circuit and County Courts. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 57 

TOWNS FORMED. 

Township 23, Range 11, and Township 23, 
Range 12, in the Town of Waupaca, were set off, 
to be aseperate town, called Scandinavia; the first 
town meeting to be held at the house of Hans J. 
Eleason. 

Township 22, Range 11, was set off as a seperate 
town, to be known as Farniington ; the first town 
meeting to be held at the house of John Fisher. 

A seal for the office of the County Judge was 
ordered. 

Sections 35 and 36, and the e^ of the se^, and 
the stVi of the ne^, of Section 34, in Township 22, 
Range 12, were taken from the Town of Waupaca, 
and added to Lind. 

COUNTY SEAT. 

^^ Resolved, That in the opinion of this Board 
the votes cast in the several towns of this County, 
at the late election for County officers in said 
County, for the permanent location of the County 
seat of said County, were in accordance with the 
provisions of the act setting off and organizing 
the County of Waupaca, and for other purposes ; 
that said vote was in all respects according to 
law; that by the said vote the County seat of Wau- 
paca County is permanently located at the Village 
of Waupaca, and that the action of the Board in 
ordering the Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, and Clerk 
of the Board of Supervisors to hold their offices at 



58 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

said village, and the Circuit and County Courts 
to be held also at said village, is based upon the 
belief that such vote was legal, and that Waupaca 
is the County seat of Waupaca County." 

After voting down a motion to lay it on the 
table, the above resolution was finally passed by 
the following vote : 

Yeas— J. J. Jones, Carr, A. P. Jones. Nays — 
Bostedo, Smiley. 

The Board at that meeting accepted the pro- 
posal of the citizens of Waupaca to furnish offices 
for the different officers without any charge to the 
County. 

JUDICIAL LEGISLATION. 

By legislative act of February, 1853, Waupaca 
County was organized for judicial purposes, and 
attached to the Third Circuit. The same act order- 
ed an election, to be held on the first Tuesday in 
April, 1853, to elect a Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, 
and Register of Deeds, who were to hold their of- 
fices until January 1, 1855, and a County Judge, 
to hold his office until January 1, 1854. 

JUDICIAL AND COUNTY ELECTION. 

At a special election, held April 5, 1853, the fol- 
lowing officers were elected : 

County Judge, S. F. Ware; District Attorney, B. 
F.Phillips; Sheriff, W.C. Carr; Clerkof the Court, 
James Smiley; Register of Deeds, O. E. Dreutzer; 
Countv Treasurer, Seth Warner; Clerk of the 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 59 

Board, Lucius Taft; County Surveyor, Ira Sum- 
ner; Coroner, M. Chamberlain. 

COUNTY SEAT VOTE. 

For Waupaca, 114 ; for Mukwa, 51 ; for Center- 
ville, 14; for " Center of Waupaca," 1. 

September 5, 1853, C. E. P. Hobart was elected 
County Judge. 

At an election held November 8, 1853, for State 
and County officers, the following were elected, as 
stated by the Board of Canvassers, November 15, 
at a meeting at Mukwa : 

Total number of votes cast, 419. Officers elect- 
ed: Member of Assembly, David Scott; County 
Treasurer, Simon C. Dow; Clerk of the Board, 
Mellen Chamberlain ; District Attorney, John For- 
dyce; Clerk of the Court, J. J. Jones; Sheriif, W. 
G. Thompson; Coroner, R. Luce; County Sur- 
veyor, A. V. Balch; Register of Deeds, James 
Smiley. 

At the same election the question of Prohibition 
came before the voters of the State. The vote in 
Waupaca County resulted as follows : 

In favor of Prohibition, 279; against Prohibi- 
tion, 125 ; majority in its favor, 154. 

Waupaca County was thus early placed square- 
ly in favor of Prohibition. 

THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION AGAIN. 

Also, at that time, another vote was taken ''for 
the permanent location of the County seat," re- 
sulting as follows : 



60 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

For Waupaca Falls, 256; "for all others," 196; 
majority in favor of Waupaca Falls, 60. 

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE COUNTY BOARD. 

The annual meeting of the County Board for 
1853 was held at Mukwa, November 15. 

Members present: Waupaca, E. C. Sessions, 
Chairman ; Lind, J. J. Jones ; Dayton, W. C. Carr ; 
Centerville, A. P.Jones; Weyauwega, L. Bostedo; 
Mukwa, James Smiley; Embarrass, Henry Boyden. 

A school tax of $275 was levied ; also $1,000 for 
County purposes. 

The Board ordered the Register to "give Squire 
Brandy a copy of the Revised Statutes ! " 

TOWN OF ROYALTON SET OFF. 

At that meeting Township 22, Range 13, was 
set apart as a seperate town, to be called Royal- 
ton ; the first town meeting to be held at the house 
of O. A. Rich. 

TOWN OF CALEDONIA SET OFF. 

Township 21, Range 14, was taken from Muk- 
wa, and made a seperate town, to be called Cale- 
donia; the first town meeting to be held at the 
house of James McHugh. 

ANOTHER COUNTY SEAT RESOLUUION. 

^^ Resolved, That the vote taken for the perma- 
nent location of the County seat, at the general 
election last past, was illegal, as no point had 
been designated by the Legislature to be voted for, 
and no notice given to the different towns in said 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 61 

County that such vote would be taken at that 
time." 

Said resolution was passed by the following 
vote : 

Yeas — Bostedo, A. P. Jones, Boyden, Smiley. 
Nays — Sessions, J. J. Jones, Carr. 

''Resolved, That Mukwa is the County seat, 
and that all County officers for Waupaca County 
are hereby notified and required to hold their of- 
fices at said place." 

The foregoing resolution was carried by the 
same vote. 

It was further '* Resolved, That all action taken 
by the Board of Supervisors at their meeting at 
Waupaca, on the 15th day of April, 1853, concern- 
ing the removal of the County seat from Mukwa 
to Waupaca, was hasty and without due consider- 
ation, and that all acts, and resolves passed at 
that meeting, relative to the removal of said 
County seat to Waupaca are hereby rescinded." 

Carried by the same vote. 

''Resolved, That James Smiley was duly elected 
and qualified to the office of Clerk of the Court, 
at the election ordered by the Act of the Legisla- 
ture, entitled ' An Act to Organize the County of 
Waupaca for Judicial Purposes,' in April, 1853." 

Carried. 

It was ordered " That the assessments for 1852, 
of the Towns of Weyauwega, Waupaca, Lind,and 
Centerville, be rescinded." 



62 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

LARGE SALARIES. 

By vote, the salary of the Clerk of the Board 
was fixed at $75 a year, and that of the District 
Attorney at $150. 

COURT TO BE HELD AT MUKWA. 

'^ Resolved, That the building known as Miller's 
Store Building, in the Village of Mukwa, is hereby 
provided for the use of the Circuit and County 
Courts of this County, and it is hereby directed 
that the courts of the County hold their sessions 
in said building until other buildings are provided." 

'^Resolved, That the Clerk of the Board is here- 
by directed to notify Judge Larrabee officially of 
the action of this Board in this matter, and inform 
him of the provision." 

Both of the above resolutions were carried by 
the following vote : 

Yeas — Bostedo, A. P. Jones, Boy den. Smiley. 
Nays — Sessions, J. J. Jones, Carr. 

It was ordered that the proceedings of the meet- 
ing be published in the Oshkosh Democrat, and the 
Waupaca Spirit. 

CHAPTER VIII. 

Meeting of the County Board at Waupaca — Members 
FROM Belmont and Amherst Admitted — Town of Lan- 
ark Organized — Building Committee Chosen — Vote on 
County Seat. 

SPECIAL MEETING OF THE COUNTY BOARD. 

November 30, 1854, a special meeting of the 
County Board was held at Waupaca. The Board 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 63 

only ''marched up the hill, and then marched down 
again/' transacting no business, except to adjourn 
until December 4. No records of that adjourned 
meeting can be found. 

In April, 1854, George W. Gate was elected Judge 
for the Seventh Judicial Circuit. 

-November 13, 1855, the County Board met in 
annual session at the tavern of J. J. Jones, in the 
Town of Waupaca. 

Present — Dayton, W. C. Carr; Farmington, 
William Benedict; Amherst, John F. Phelps; Bel- 
mont, A. J. Freeman; Scandinavia, Ole Rein ; lola, 
M. R. Baldwin; St. Lawrence, Henry Herrick; 
Little W^olf, A. P. Jones; Waupaca, S. F. Ware. 

Absent — Representatives from Lind, Weyau- 
wega, Lebanon, Mukwa, Royalton, and Cale- 
donia. 

S. F.Ware, of the Town of Waupaca, w^ as elected 
Chairman of the Board. 

It was voted '' That the members from the Towns 
of Belmont and Amherst be admitted as members 
of the County Board." 

Township 22, Range 10, was set apart from the 
Town of Amherst, to be known as the Town of 
Lanark. 

A license was granted C. H. Mack to run a ferry 
across the Wolf River at Fremont, for the term of 
ten years. 

A committee was appointed '*to obtain the as- 
sessment of property, or assessment rolls, from the 



64 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Towns of Mukwa, Weyauwega, Royalton, Leb- 
anon, Caledonia, and Little Wolf, said towns not 
having returned said assessment rolls for said year 
of 1855." A. P. Jones, of Little Wolf, was ap- 
pointed as such committee. 

The county seat was located on the public square 
in the Village of Waupaca. 

A building committee of six were chosen, three 
from members of the Board, and three from citi- 
zens of Waupaca, to superintend the building of 
the Court House. 

W. C. Carr, A. P. Jones and William Benedict 
were chosen on said committee on the part of the 
Board, and Wilson Holt, B. F. Brown, and E. C. 
Sessions on the part of the citizens. 

The Board rescinded ''all orders or resolutions 
and decrees of said Board, passed and signed 
November 15, 1853, concerning the removal 
and location of the County seat of Waupaca 
County." 

The Board declared Mellen Chamberlain ''the 
proper and legal Clerk of said Board of Super- 
visors." 

Sections 35 and 36, and the eV2 of the se^/i of the 
neM., of Section 34, Township 22, Range 12 east, 
were set apart from the Town of Lind, and an- 
nexed to the Town of Waupaca. 

Townships 24 and 25, Range 10, were taken 
from Amherst and made one town by the name of 
Peru. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 65 

ONE MORE COUNTY SEAT VOTE. 

November 6, 1855, another vote was taken for 
removal of the County seat to Weyau^vega. We 
give the results as we find them among the archives 
at the Court House in Waupaca. The result of 
that vote was, according to the returns before us : 

Whole number of votes cast, 1,096 ; for removal 
to Weyauwega, 75; against removal, 1,021. 

The following county officers were declared elect- 
ed : Clerk of the Court, James H. Jones ; Clerk of 
the Board of Supervisors, Mellen Chamberlain ; 
Treasurer, Charles O. Brown; Register of Deeds, 
Charles E. Redfield. 

For Member of Assembly, Louis Bostedo re- 
ceived 114 votes, and William Brenquest 999. 

In November, 1856, E. P. Perry was elected 
Member of Assembly; E. I. Putnam, Register of 
Deeds; Barney Brown, Sheriff; M. H. Sessions, 
District Attorney; Myron Boughton, County Sur- 
veyor; J. B. Redfield, Coroner. 



CHAPTER IX. 

Charges Against Melt>ex Chamberlain — Vote ox County 
Seat — First Meeting of the County Board at Wey- 
auwega— Resolutions OF THE Board on the County 
Seat Question. 

MEETING AT MUKWA. 

November 14, 1854, a meeting of the Count3^ 
Board was held at Mukwa. It was called to order 
by James Smiley, Chairman of Mukwa, Mellen 



66 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Chamberlain, the Clerk of the Board, having re- 
fused to call the Board to order. George E. More, 
of Royalton, was elected Chairman. 

Charges were then presented against Mellen 
Chamberlain, Clerk of the Board, for wilful neglect 
of duty. A copy of the charges were served on 
him, and evidence produced before the Board to 
support them. 

On motion of James Smiley, the question of re- 
moving Mr. Chamberlain from office was put to a 
vote with the following result : 

Yeas— James Smiley, M. G. More, E. Stanley, J. 
Erickson, G. E. More, Carr Barker, Thomas Gore. 

Refusing to vote — W. C. Carr, and , repre- 
sentative from Waupaca. 

The Clerk was declared removed from office, and 
John Fordyce, of Weyauwega, was elected to act 
as Clerk of the Board. 

The chairmanship of the Town of Lind being 
claimed by J. J. Jones and J. W. Chandler, a vote 
was taken, resulting in Mr. Chandler's favor. 

The following officers were declared elected at 
the November election : 

O. E. Dreutzer, Register of Deeds ; James H. 
Jones, Clerk of the Court; James Smiley, Clerk of 
the Board; Lucius Taft, County Treasurer; A. V. 
Balch, County Surveyor; A. Redfield, Coroner; 
George A. La Dow, District Attorney. 

For removal of County seat, 41 ; against re- 
moval, 341. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 67 

The Clerk was authorized "to use the eagle side 
of a ten-dollar gold piece for a seal " until another 
should be procured. 

The Board adjourned, to meet at the house of 
William Martin, Weyauwega, at 12 o'clock m., 
November 28. 

MEETING IN 1855, AT MUKWA. 

November 13, 1855, the County Board of Super- 
visors met at Mukwa. 

George E. More was elected Chairman. 

Supervisors present — Caledonia, Thomas Gore; 
Weyauwega, Louis Bostedo ; Lind, G. M. Pope; 
Royalton, George E. More ; Mukwa, James Smiley; 
Lebanon, M. G. More; Little Wolf, J. F. Sterns. 

Absent — Representatives from Dayton, Far- 
mington, Waupaca, and Scandinavia. 

The canvassers reported as follows : 

For Memberof Assembly, Louis Bostedo received 
604 votes in the County, and William Brenquest 
received 64. 

The following persons were declared elected : 
Clerk of the Court, Henry Mumbrue ; Clerk of the 
Board, James Smiley; Register of Deeds, Charles 
L. Gumaer. 

The whole number of votes cast for and against 
the removal of the County seat to Weyauwega 
v^as 818, of which number 753 were for removal, 
and 65 against removal. 

C. C. Kinsman was granted a charter for a ferry 



68 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

at Fremont, and Ira Brown for one at Northport. 

TOWN OF BEAR CREEK FORMED. 

Townships 24 and 25, Range 14, and Township 
24, Range 15, were set off into a town by the name 
of Bear Creek ; the first election to be held at the 
house of Welcome Hyde. 

SPECIAL MEETING AT WEYAUWEGA. 

April 17, 1856, the County Board of Supervisors 
met in special session at Weyaviwega. 

Supervisors present — Lind, George M. Pope; 
Weyauwega, Duncan Baxter; Caledonia, Thomas 
Gore; Mukwa, B. F. Phillips; Royalton, George 
E. More; St. Lawrence, C. S. Ogden; Little Wolf, 
J. F. Stevens ; Lebanon, Patrick Murphy. 

Absent — Representatives from Dayton, Wau- 
paca, Farmington, Scandinavia, and lola. 

George M. Pope, of Lind, was elected Chairman. 

A committee was appointed to draft resolutions 
expressive of the sense of the Board in the County 
difficulties. The committee reported the following 
resolutions, which were adopted : 

RESOLUTIONS ON THE COUNTY SEAT QUESTION. 

''Resolved, That, in the opinion of the Board of 
Supervisors of Waupaca County, Weyauwega is 
in law the County seat of Waupaca County, hav- 
ing been so declared by the Board of Supervisors 
after canvassing the votes given on the question 
of County seat, at the place of meeting of said 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 69 

Board of Supervisors, and that it is in fact the 
County seat, having received a majority of the 
votes given on the question of removal of the 
County seat. 

^^ Resolved, That said Board represent that at 
the meeting of the County Board of Supervisors 
of the County of Waupaca, in the fall of 1854, 
every tov^m comprised in the County of Waupaca 
was represented, except the Town of Farmington ; 
and at said meeting of the Board of Supervisors, 
among other things, Mellen Chamberlain v^as re- 
moved from the office of Clerk of the Board of 
Supervisors, and John Fordyce elected in his place ; 
that the Towns of lola and St. Lawrence were 
organized ; and that the Board adjourned its next 
annual meeting at Mukwa, after levying the taxes 
for the County. That the Towns of Lind, Dayton, 
Farmington, and Waupaca at that time refused to 
pay their taxes, but have since levied the taxes as 
directed by the County Board, at aforesaid meet- 
ing in November, 1854; and that said Board did, 
also, at said meeting in November, 1854, declare 
Mukwa to be the County seat of Waupaca 
County, after the votes on the question of County 
seat had been canvassed. That the west part of 
this County, consisting of the Towns of Dayton, 
Farmington, and Waupaca, have acquiesced in the 
action of the Board, as aforesaid, by levying their 
taxes as directed by the Board as aforesaid in No- 
vember, 1854, and giving the Supervisors from the 



70 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Towns of lolaaiid St. Lawrence seats in the Board 
that assembled at Wanpaca in 1855. And we, the 
Board of Supervisors, draw this conclusion, — that 
admitting a part of the acts of the Board of Super- 
visors in November, 1854, admits the whole ; and 
admitting the Supervisors for the Towns of lola 
and St. Lawrence to seats in the Board, admits 
John Fordyce to have been legally the Clerk of 
this Board. And we further state that the said 
John Fordyce, Clerk, at the County seat, the place 
fixed upon the year before for the meeting of the 
Board, after canvassing the votes given on the 
question of removal of the County seat, declared 
Weyauwega to have received the majority of all 
votes given on the question of removal of the 
County seat to Weyauwega, at the election in No- 
vember, 1855; and further state that the above 
conclusions are arrived at after a careful investi- 
gation of the previous proceedings of the County 
Board, and of the election held in November, 
1855. 

^^ Resolved, That the Judge of the Circuit Court 
be directed to hold the next term of the Circuit 
Court, for this County, at the Village of Weyau- 
wega; and that La Dow's Hall be the Court 
House ; that the Sheriff, Clerk of the Court, Clerk 
of the Board of Supervisors, Register of Deeds, 
and other County officers required to hold their of- 
fices at the County seat, are hereby directed and 
ordered to hold their offices at the Village of Wey- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 71 

auwega, the County seat of Waupaca County. 
''Resolved, That the Board find, from an invest- 
igation of the returns of the election in November, 
1855, that the vote on the question of removal of 
County seat showed a majority of 53 in favor of 
the removal of the County seat to Wey auwega." 



CHAPTER X. 

T^jE Board for Peace — Summons to Mellen Chamber- 
lain — loLA \ND Union Organized — Toavnship Poor 
System Arolished. 

At a meeting of the Board held at Weyauwega 
in November, 1856, B. F. Phillips, B. Phillips, 
Duncan Baxter, M. R. Baldwin, and Thomas Gore 
were appointed as a committee ''to consult on 
what will be done with the proposals that Mr. 
Sessions brought from Waupaca." 

The resignation of James Smiley, as Clerk of the 
Board of Supervisors, was accepted, and a vote of 
thanks was extended him ''for his consideration in 
resigning his office in order to eifect a reconciHa- 
tion of the differences in the county." 

G. W. Chamberlain was to be informed of the 
"resignation of James Smiley, and its acceptance 
by this Board, and that he be requested to appear 
and act as Clerk of this Board, and to bring with 
him such books and papers as would be necessary 
to a settlement with the County." 



72 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

THE BOARD FOR PEACE. 

The following resolution was passed : 
^'Resolved, That the County Board of Super- 
visors of the County of Waupaca, assembled at 
Weyauwega, will not accept or entertain any 
motion, resolution or determination, which has a 
tendency to bring in question the claims of either 
Waupaca or Weyauwega to the County seat." 

A resolution was passed, ignoring the election of 
Treasurer in 1856, as illegal, and recognizing as 
Treasurer, CO. Brown, who was elected in 1855 
for two years ; also recommending that the Treas- 
urer elected in 1856 refrain from qualifying for the 
said office. 

A SUMMONS TO MELLEN CHAMBERLAIN. 

Mellen Chamberlain, Clerk of the Board, was 
ordered to appear forthwith before the Board, 
''with all books and papers belonging to your of- 
fice, or in your possession." 

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE OF CONFERENCE. 

The committee to confer with "the western di- 
vision of the County" recommended that the 
"two acting Clerks of the Board" resign; that 
the Clerk of the Circuit Court be appointed to fill 
the vacancy until January, 1857 ; that said Clerk 
unite the two canvasses made by the two late 
Clerks of the Board, declare the result of such joint 
canvass, and make returns and issue certificates of 
election according to such canvass. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 73 

The committee further recommended ''that the 
two divisions of the County Board meet for the 
consideration of County business, hoping that it 
may be the means of settling this trouble that has 
so long rendered this County a by-w^ord and re- 
proach." 

Township 25, Range 11, was taken from Little 
Wolf and attached to lola. 

Mellen Chamberlain, one of the contending 
Clerks of the Board, was requested to resign his 
office in imitation of James Smiley, who had pre- 
viously resigned. 

The Board adjourned till December 22, 1856, 
"to hear the report of the investigating committee 
on the Treasurer's and Clerk's books." 

December 22, the Board met at Weyauwega, ac- 
cording to adjournment. No quorum being present, 
the Board adjourned sine die. 

There v^as a special meeting of the Board at 
Weyauwega, May 4, 1857. Twelve Supervisors 
were present. Louis Bostedo was elected Chair- 
man, and C. E. Redfield Clerk. 

The Treasurer was ordered to appear forthwith, 
and bring for examination the books and papers 
pertaining to his office. 

Mellen Chamberlain received a like notice. 

George M. Pope was summoned as a witness. 

Mellen Chamberlain was to be recognized as 
Clerk of the Board until the succeeding Fall. 

A committee of investigation was appointed, 



74 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

consisting of Andrew J. Dufur, Edward Edwards, 
and George Lord, to report at the annual meeting. 

ANNUAL MEETING IN 1857. 

The Board met at Weyauwega, November 10, 
1857. 

The Sheriff was ordered to bring the County 
Treasurer, with all the books, etc., before the 
Board. 

TOWN OF UNION ORGANIZED. 

Townships 24 and 25, Range 13, and Township 
25, Range 12, were set off from Little Wolf, to be 
a seperate town, by the name of Union ; the first 
town meeting to be held at the house of E. C. 
Scott. 

The Township Poor System was abolished. 

A seal was ordered for the Clerk of the Board. 

At that meeting, Winfield Scott was elected Clerk 
of the Board. 

In November, 1857, the vote in the County on 
the ' ' extension of suffrage ' ' was : For extension , 
825 ; against it, 544. 



CHAPTER XI. 

Town of Matteson — Helvetia — County Divided Into 
Three Supervisor Districts— Board Adjourns to Wau- 
paca — County Jail — Committee on Poor House — In- 
sane. 

The Board determined ''That all that part of 
Township 25, Range 15, and Township 25, Range 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 75 

16, lying west of Wolf River, is annexed to the 
Town of Bear Creek." 

TOWNSHIP 25, RANGE 15. 

At a meeting of the County Board in November, 
1859, the Chairman of the Board was instructed 
"to procure the opinion of the Attorney General 
as to whether Township 25, Range 15, is a part of 
Waupaca County or of Shawano County." If his 
opinion should be in favor of Waupaca County, 
the Chairman of the Board and the District At- 
torney were to take measures to compel the proper 
officers to make returns to this County. 

MATTESON TAKEN IN. 

At the annual meeting of the Board at Weyau- 
wega, in November, 1860, Township 25, Range 
15, was declared to be one of the towns of Wau- 
paca County, and was made a new town, to be 
called Matteson, — the town having been already 
organized by that name, while in Shawano 
County, before the action of the Legislature. 
Supervisor Matteson was declared a member of 
the County Board, without further action of the 
town. 

HELVETIA ORGANIZED. 

Township 24, Range 12, was taken from the 
Town of lola, and Township 25, Range 12, was 
taken from the Town of Union, and formed into a 
seperate town by the name of Helvetia ; the first 



76 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

town meeting to be held at the school house in 
Township 24, Range 12. 

TOWN OF LARRABEE. 

Township 25, Range 14, was taken from Bear 
Creek, and made a seperate town by the name of 
Larrabee ; the first town meeting to be held at the 
school house in District No. 2, of Bear Creek. 

POOR HOUSE AND FARM. 

It was decided that the question of the purchase 
of a Poor Farm, and the erection of a Poor House, 
would be submitted to the voters at the town 
meetings in 1861. 

SUPERVISOR DISTRICTS. 

At the annual meeting of the County Board in 
November, 1861, the County was divided into 
three Supervisor Districts, as follows : 

First District — The Towns of Dayton, Farming- 
ton, Scandinavia, St. Lawrence, Waupaca, and 
Lind. 

Second District — Weyauwega, Royalton, Little 
Wolf, Lebanon, Mukwa, and Caledonia. 

Third District — lola, Helvetia, Union, Larrabee, 
Matteson, and Bear Creek. 

BOARD ADJOURNS TO WAUPACA. 

The Board adjourned to meet at Lord's Hall, 
Waupaca, November 13. Ayes, 13 ; Noes, 8. 
In November, 1862, the resolution passed in 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 77 

1858, abolishing the distinction between Town 
and County Poor was rescinded. 

TOWN OF DUPONT. 

November 17, 1864, the County Board set off 
Township 25, Range 13, from the Town of Union, 
to be a seperate town by the name of Dupont. 

COUNTY JAIL. 

- At a special meeting of the Board, held April 10, 
1867, a contract for building a County Jail was 
let to S. R. Sherwin and R. R. Roberts, for the sum 
of $7,725. 

A new seal was adopted for the Clerk of the 
Board. It bore the device of a man chopping a 
pine tree. 

At the November meeting, 1869, a vote was 
ordered taken through the County at the Spring 
election, on the question of purchasing a Poor 
Farm. 

MUKWA GOES BACK. 

May 22, 1871, at a special session of the Board, 
the village plat of Mukwa was vacated. 

The distinction between Town and County Poor 
was abolished. 

A NEW FENCE AROUND COURT HOUSE SQUARE. 

June 12, 1873, $400 was appropriated toward 
a new fence around Court House Square, the Vil- 
lage of Waupaca to raise an equal amount. 

A building committee was appointed to erect 



78 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

suitable buildings to accommodate the Poor of 
the County, said buildings not to cost more than 
$2,000. 

A committee was appointed to locate and pur- 
chase the grounds, not to cost more than $400. 
The location was made at Little Wolf. 

November 18, 1873, the Poor House Building 
Committee reported that James Meiklejohn had 
offered a donation of $1,000 provided the building 
was completed within two years, according to a 
plan of Royal Green ; and that they had accepted 
the offer of Mr. Meiklejohn, and had let the work. 
They further recommended an additional appro- 
priation of $2,000, to complete the said building. 
The report was adopted. 

By resolution, an appropriation of $50 was 
made ''for the purpose of purchasing a cane for 
James Meiklejohn, as a testimonial for the gift of 
$1,000 and forty acres of land to the County." 
All voted aye, except Taylor. 

The Poor House Committee was authorized by 
the Board to go on with work on the building ac- 
cording to contract. 

In 1875 the Board voted $1,000 towards build- 
ing a place for insane on the Poor Farm, and $500 
for a furnace for the same. 

In 1878 the hospital, created and organized by 
action of the Board in 1875, was reorganized for 
the purpose of a County Insane Asylum, according 
to the Revised Statutes. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 79 

A WITTY MKMBER. 

In 1879, Supervisor Ratcliif oifered the following 
resolution : 

''Whereas, The Village of Clintonville incurred 
considerable indebtedness in perfecting its organi- 
zation under the General Statutes ; and 

' ' Whereas, Such indebtedness has been increased 
by the erection of a pound and lock-up ; and 

"Whereas, The radical inability of the inhabi- 
tants of said village, and a conspiracy entered into 
and existing betvxreen the City of New London and 
the Towns of Dupont and Matteson, to monopo- 
lize all matters of litigation, and to retain all fin- 
able subjects within the limits of their respective 
corporations, except when the County Board is in 
session, thus cutting off all sources of revenue; 
therefore, 

^'Resolved, That $500 be appropriated by this 
Board to bridge the deficiency existing between 
the treasury of said village and a liquidation of 
said indebtedness." 

The resolution was laid over under the rules. 

In 1880 the Board voted $15,000 to build a 
Court House, $3,000 of it to be raised by taxation, 
the balance to come out of funds from the sale of 
County lands, and out of donations. The City 
of Waupaca was to raise $7,000, and the Court 
House was to be completed before January 1, 
1882. The building commissioners were J. W. 
Bingham, W. A. Weisbrod, and A. S. McDonald. 



80 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

In 1881 steam heating apparatus was ordered 
for the Court House. 

REWARD OFFERED FOR THE ARREST OF THE MUR- 
DERERS OF BANKER H. C. MEAD. 

In 1882 a reward of $1,000 was offered by the 
Board for the apprehension of the murderers of 
Banker H. C. Mead, of Waupaca. 

The Chairman and Clerk of the Board were 
authorized to borrow $10,000 to settle County 
indebtedness for btiilding the Court House, and to 
issue bonds bearing 8 per cent, interest. A direct 
tax was to be levied in 1883 to pay such indebted- 
ness and interest. 

In 1886 the town system of supporting the 
Poor was restored. 

COUNTY INSANE ASYLUM. 

An ordinance was passed for the building of a 
County Insane Asylum ; the site to consist of not 
less than 160 acres, and to be within three miles 
of the Court House. 

The Asylum was to be built during 1887. The 
County was to issue bonds for the sum required, 
not to exceed $30,000, the whole to be paid in 
eight years, with 7 per cent, interest. The ordin- 
ance passed by a vote of 16 to 15. At a special 
meeting, April 27, 1887, the said ordinance was 
repealed, and a committee appointed to take the 
preliminary steps towards a settlement with the 
contractors for their damages sustained by reason 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 81 

of said repeal. Supervisors F. M. Guernsey, I. M. 
Deming, and D. Wafler were appointed as such 
committee. June 11, 1887, at a special meeting of 
the Board, said ordinance was again repealed. 

In November, 1887, doubts being entertained 
about the legality of the special meetings ^when 
action had been had in reference to the County 
Asylum, the ordinance of 1886 was again repealed. 



CHAPTER XII. 

Town of Mukwa — First Settlement — Village of Muk- 
WA — Village of Northpoet — Smiley's Anecdotes — 
City of New London — The First School. 

THE TOWN OF MUKWA. 

The Town of Mukwa comprises Township 22, 
Range 14 east. It is bounded on the north by the 
Town of Lebanon, on the east by Outagamie 
County, on the south by Caledonia, and on the 
w^est by Royalton. 

FIRST SETTLEMENT. 

In the Spring of 1848, J. G. Nordman made a 
claim two miles south of New London, and 
entered the land by a soldier's land warrant, of the 
Mexican war. The next year he had a little com 
patch. 

Ira Brown made a claim on the north side of the 
river in 1850, and Lucius Taft made one the next 



82 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Spring. In 1852, Ira Millerd and Lucius Taft 
bought out the Johnsons, ^who were Indian traders. 
Mr. Reynolds made a claim here in 1852, and Mr. 
Burnell made a claim at Mosquito Hill the same 
year. Messrs. Doty and Smith started a portable 
saw mill in 1854, on the site now occupied by 
Meiklejohn & Hatten. 

The first school taught in the town was in 1852, 
at Mukwa, by Mrs. Stevens. 

The first school house was built in 1852, at 
Mukwa. 

The first church (Catholic) was built at North- 
port in 1857. 

The first marriage was William McDonald and 
Miss Nichols. 

The first death was Mr. McCorrison, in 1851. 

The first birth was a child of W. N. Davis, of 
Mukwa, in 1851. 

The first saw mill was built by Robert Grignon, 
in 1848. 

The first grist mill v^as built at New London, in 
1857, by Mr. Hale. 

The first postofiice was established at Mukwa, 
in 1851, with C. E. P. Hobart for postmaster. It 
was on the route from Green Bay to Stevens Point. 

The first store was started at Mukwa, in 1850, 
by C. E. P. Hobart. 

H. Rolph started the first hotel and saloon, at 
Mukwa, in 1849. 

The Town of Mukwa was organized by act of 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 83 

the County Board, at a special meeting held in 
March, 1852; and at the organic election, held 
April 6, 1852, W. N. Davis was elected Chairman, 
and James Smiley Town Clerk. 

The first apple trees were planted by James 
Smiley, in 1851. 

\aLLAGE OF MUKWA. 

The Village of Mukwa, which obtained such 
notoriety during the *' County Seat War," was 
platted in 1851 by B. F. Phillips and August Grig- 
non. It was formerly a great trading point for 
the upper Wolf River country. Charles Carron, a 
half-breed, had his trading post here from 1838 to 
1846. It afterwards became the County seat, — 
and what a wonderful advance in the price of vil- 
lage lots ! But a change came ; the County seat 
was moved elsewhere, and the bubble burst. 

VILLAGE OF NORTHPORT. 

This village was platted by J. S. Stoddard and 
S. Burbank in 1855. It was first called Stevens 
Point, then New Boston, and finally given its 
present name. Its population is about 350. It is 
situated in the northern part of the Town of Muk- 
wa, on the Wolf River, three miles below the City 
of New London. It has 1 general store, 2 saloons, 
2 blacksmith shops, 1 saw mill and lumber yard, 
1 planing mill, 2 churches, and 1 hotel. 

The first settler was a man named Stevens. 
William Patrick came early in 1851, and Elijah 



84 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Humes and his son Alden came in the same year, 
Patrick buili a warehouse. 

In 1874 a substantial draw bridge was built 
across the Wolf River at this place. 

In 1857a Catholic Church was built; but it was 
burned. The present structure was built in 1866. 
The Methodist Church was built in 1864. 

SMILEY 'S ANECDOTES. 

James Smiley, to whom we are under many obli- 
gations, is a hale, hospitable gentleman, living 
quietly in his pleasant home near Northport. He 
took a prominent part in our County affairs at an 
early day, and enjoys telling about being taken to 
jail because he refused to give up the books and 
papers in his office to those who he thought had 
no legal right to them. 

He was bom in Ireland, June 20, 1815. He 
came to this country in 1837, and has resided in 
Waupaca County since 1851, having held several 
important offices. 

He is one of the oldest Odd Fellows in the State, 
having been a member of the order for forty-five 
years. 

Mr. Smiley loves to tell good anecdotes, a few of 
which we shall try to repeat : 

INDIAN DOGS AND SMILEY'S PIGS. 

Mr. Smiley had, at considerable trouble and ex- 
pense, procured some pigs, which were allowed to 
run at large about the premises. A band of some 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 85 

400 Indians were encamped in the neighborhood, 
while there were but four or five ^white famiHes 
near. One day Mr. Smiley caught the Indians set- 
ting their dogs on his pigs, and having lots of fun. 
Upon a repetition of the offense, he took his rifle 
and started for their camp. A squaw saw him 
coming, and, divining the cause, made haste to se- 
cure the safety of her canine pet by hustling it into 
her tent, and tried to prevent Smiley from pursu- 
ing it. But the dog, not having the fear of shoot- 
ing irons before its eyes, darted out to see what 
the fuss was about. Smiley was a good marks- 
man, and that dog was soon where dead Indian 
dogs go, much to the chagrin of the squaw. 

Smiley then took a lot of vension,cut it into thin 
slices, sweetened it with strychnine, and generous- 
ly fed it to the oflending curs. He soon had fifteen 
where porcine heels would never more have any 
attractions for them, and their bark was silenced 
forever. 

The next morning fifteen exasperated Indians, 
late owners of the defunct curs, all dressed in their 
v^ar paint, made their appearance at the house of 
Mr. Smiley. 

One said, ** You kill-um my dog last night; you 
pay me ten dollar." Another said, *' You kill-um 
my dog, too ; you pay me five dollar." And so it 
went, until all had put in their claims, at the same 
time threatening to shoot his dog, unless theirs 
were paid for. Smiley told them that they might 



86 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

kill his dog; but, if they did, some of them would 
start at once for the ''happy hunting grounds." 
That was enough. Smiley never paid for their 
dogs, and his own was not killed. 

meiklejohn's law suit. 

Peter Meiklejohn was a Justice of the Peace, and 
had a criminal case before him. At the conclusion 
of the trial, the jury cleared the accused, and £ned 
the Justice half a pound of tobacco for each of 
their number. The joke was too good for " Pete " 
to "kick," and the *' fine " was paid. 

In those primitive times it was quite the fashion 
at law suits, in Justices' Courts, for the parties in 
the suit to set jugs of whisky on the table, for the 
use of the Court, jury and witnesses, and the man 
who furnished the best liquor and the biggest jug 
generally won. 

A MUKWA DIVORCE. 

Mike Bradley married in Chicago, and brought 
his wife to Mukwa. The couple had the misfortune 
to quarrel once in a while, and in one of their dif- 
ferences Mike struck his weaker part with his fist. 
She applied for redress to Squire Brandy, who had 
Mike arrested and fined $25. Then Mr. Smiley 
made out some divorce papers, which both parties 
signed. Mike then paid his fine, which was used 
in taking his divorced wife back to Chicago. 

AN INDIAN THIEF. 

The following anecdote was related to us by a 
different person, but it is worth repeating : 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 87 

In 1851 a large ntimber of Indians were at Muk- 
wa. Several whites were stopping at the hotel. 
One day a woman, in taking in washing, missed 
a certain article of female apparel, commonly 
called a ''night dress." An effort was at once 
made to find the thief. After much searching, some 
one discovered an Indian with a ruffle peeping from 
under his blanket. Knowing that Indians seldom 
wore such ornaments, the discoverer made a 
further investigation, and found the missing gar- 
ment transformed into an Indian's shirt. The In- 
dian was at once turned over to the tender mercies 
of the white women and squaws, who soon man- 
aged to disrobe the red thief. Then the other In- 
dians commenced jeering him, pointing their fin- 
gers at him, and calling him "Winnebago, Winne- 
bago," meaning "bad Indian." 

CITY OF NEW LONDON. 

The City of New London is located on Sections 
1, 12, and 13, of the Town of Mukwa, and also 
on a contiguous portion of Outagamie County. 
Like many Western towns, its growth from an in- 
significant hamlet to an important city has been 
truly phenomenal ; and we can not think that New 
London has seen its best days. Its natural and 
acquired advantages, its capital, its push, all will 
combine to save it from the fate of so many mush- 
room prodigies of the West. 

In 1853 Ira Millerd started the first store with- 
in the present limits of New London. In 1856 the 



88 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

first post office was established, with WilHam 
McMillen as postmaster. 

The first frame house was erected by Ira Brown 
in 1851. 

The first child bom was Elwood Lutsey, in 
1851. 

The first land claims made within the city limits 
were by Holcomb, Edwards, and Lutsey, in 1851. 

In 1853 George Lutsey kept the first hotel. 

The first newspaper was published in 1857 by A. 
J. Lawson. It was the New London Times. In 
1869 John Ogden established the present Times. 

CITY ORGANIZATION. 

The first city officers, elected in 1877, were as 
follows : 

Mayor — J. C. Hoxie. Aldermen — First Ward, 
August Kappemick; Second Ward, James Hop- 
perton; Third Ward, Theodore Knapstein; Fourth 
Ward, I. M. Deming. Clerk, C. M. Taylor; Jus- 
tices of the Peace, Y. Mischock, W. H. Walker, J. 
W. Bishop, C. Berely; Chief of Police, J. Murray; 
Treasurer, A. H. Pape. 

New London has 36 stores, 3 saw mills, 1 excel- 
sior mill, 1 furniture factory, 1 planing mill, 1 grist 
mill, 2 breweries, 1 bottling works, 4 wagon 
works, 1 bee-hive factory, 1 grain elevator, 1 hay- 
pressing establishment, 1 bank, 5 hotels, 6 
churches, a good high school and ward and paro- 
chial schools, and 1 nev>rspaper. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 89 

The professions, of course, are well represented. 

City officers for 1890: Mayor — R. S. Johnson. 
Aldermen — John Jagoditsh, August Plath, Henry 
Knapstein,E.H.Ramm, H. K. Jillson. City Clerk, 
C. E. Dickinson; Treasurer, John Dengel; Chief of 
Police, Charles Taggert; City Attorney, L. S. 
Porter; Assessor, George Freiberger; Supervisors 
— Fred Radkey, A. W. Jillson, B. Miller, B. A. 
Weatherby, I. M. Deming. 

New London is in the midst of an excellent farm- 
ing district, at the head of navigation on the 
Wolf River, and at the junction of the Milwaukee, 
Lake Shore & Western, and the Green Bay, Wi- 
nona & St. Paul railroads. It has resources and 
facilities for making it one of the best markets for 
farmers in Northern Wisconsin, and of late years 
has been coming rapidly to the front as an avail- 
able point for manufacturing. The city has a pop- 
ulation of 2,130, according to the census of 1890. 

THE FIRST SCHOOL. 

We have been permitted to copy a well written 
paper, giving an account of the first school taught 
in New London. It is from the pen of Mrs. C. L. 
Allen, formerly Miss Maria Millerd, and first read 
before the Old Settlers' Society, of New London: 

''In the year 1852 we arrived at the Village 
of New London, known as 'the Mouth of the 
Embarrass.' The village consisted of two fam- 
ilies, and in order to draw school money for the 
ensuing year v^e were obliged to have three months 



90 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

school before a stated time. I was chosen teacher, 
being the only young lady in town who could de- 
vote time to the undertaking. 

'' The next thing to be considered was the certifi- 
cate. Being quite young, still in the period of 
short dresses, I looked forward to the examina- 
tion with fear and trembling. In those days 
teachers were placed under the supervision of 
Town Superintendents. 

''The Superintendent came on Sunda3^ The 
much dreaded examination consisted of the ques- 
tions, 'Where are the Straits of Behring?' and 
' How far have you been in arithmetic ? ' Gram- 
mar and all other studies were omitted, I suppose 
for the sake of brevity. He asked me to give him 
a sample of my penmanship. I wrote 'Sabath 
morning,' leaving out one of the b's in the first 
word, for the same reason, we will premise, that 
he left out the other studies. 

"The school began the next week, it being then 
the Spring of 1853. One of my dresses had in the 
meantime been lengthened, to add dignity to my 
youthful appearance. 

" Our own house was 16 x 22 feet, the front part 
being occupied as a store, while in the other we 
lived and kept hotel. As there was no room in 
which to keep the school, we organized it upon 
the stairs, and kept it there until the weather be- 
came warmer, when we migrated to the doorstep. 

"On the bank of the river stood a double log 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 91 

house. Part of it had been used for a warehouse, 
and the other part for a stable. As the weather 
became warmer, it was found necessary to provide 
a school room for us; so we 'birds of passage' 
flitted to the old warehouse, which was then 
obliged to do double duty, for the boat often came 
in during school hours. 

'' The other half of the building was still used as 
a stable, and, as the flies were very thick, the oxen 
were kept there through the day. With their low^- 
ing and stamping, the unloading of freight, and 
the occasional visit of an Indian, our school was 
not a model of order. 

"Within an enclosure near the school room was 
kept an old muley cow, which went crazy at the 
sight of an Indian. To go and quiet her was one 
of my duties whenever a noble red man put in an 
appearance. 

*' There were seven pupils enrolled, but the aver- 
age attendance was about two and one-half. One 
of them in particular I was never sure of. He v^as 
always there at roll call, but when it came time 
for him to read he was generalh^ missing. Being 
extremely hard to catch, he usually went without 
instruction in that branch. 

''At the end of the year I received $10, which I 
invested in real estate that eventually brought me 
$200. I shall leave others to say whether value 
was received for service rendered." 



92 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XIII. 

Town of Lind — First Settlees — Oeganization — First 
Officers — Fourth of July Celebration on Lone Pine 
PliLL — A Temperance Lesson. 

The Town of Lind consists of Township 21, 
Range 12. It is bounded on the north by Wau- 
paca, on the east by Weyauwega and Fremont, 
on the south by Waushara County, and on the 
west by Dayton. 

The soil is mostly a clayey or gravelly loam, 
easily worked, and producing excellent crops. 
Wheat, corn, and potatoes do well, but the soil 
appears to be peculiarly adapted to stock raising 
and dairying. Sheep do well; and probably no 
to^wn in the County can show better horses than 
may be found among the farmers of Lind. 

The first settlement was made in the Spring of 
1849, when Simon C. Dow and Colonel John W. 
Chandler moved in. 

In 1849, Mr. Dow built the first log house. It is 
still standing on Section 1. 

In the Fall of that year came Tyler Caldwell and 
his son. Captain C. C. Caldwell, George W. Tag- 
gart, Jarvis Rice, James S. Potter, A. Rice, Charles 
Coffin, Hiram and James Sexton, Alonzo Vaughn, 
Moses Selleck, and John Shaw. 

The first school was taught by Mrs. Susan 
Chandler, in the ''Chandler Settlement," com- 
mencing June 5, 1851. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 93 

The same year, Miss Maryetta Caldwell, now 
Mrs. Bowers, taught in the Pope district. 

The first school house (log) was built in the 
Chandler district in 1851. It is still standing. 

The first saw mill (water power) was built in 
1853 and 1854, on Section 25, by Mr. Strong. It 
has been lately torn down. 

The first grist mill (water power) was built by 
C. H. Ritz in 1876. It is now owned by Charles 
E. Roberts, of Waupaca, and known as the Hat- 
ten Mills. 

The first church (Methodist) was completed in 
1865, on Section 28. In 1888 a Wesleyan Metho- 
dist church was built on Section 21. 

The first birth was a child of Hiram Sexton, in 
the Spring of 1850. 

The first death was Mrs. Foster, in 1851. 

The first marriage was John M. Dewey and 
Mary Chandler, November 15, 1852. The cere- 
mony was performed by Rev. Peter Prink, a Bap- 
tist. 

The first sermon was preached in the shantj^ of 
Mr. Caldwell, in 1850, by Elder Baxter. 

The first postofiice was established in December, 
1850, with George W. Taggart for postmaster. 
Mr. Taggart named the town in honor of the 
famous Swedish singer, Jenny Lind. 

The mail was carried on foot, once a week, to 
Berlin and back. John Harris, familiarly known 
as ''Old Zach," was carrier. The name of the 



94 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

mail contractor was S. M. Booth, not '' Shear- 
man." 

The first store was started by Mitchell, in 

1859. 

The first apple trees were planted by A. Rice in 
the Spring of 1851, and he raised the first apples. 

Hollis Gibson built the first brick chimney, and 
the first stone cellar wall, in 1853. 

Alvin Pope made the first pair of boots. 

The town was organized at a special meeting of 
the County Board, held March 5, 1852. Five 
other towns were organized at the same meeting ; 
but as Lind stands first on the records we may 
safely put it down as being the first town organ- 
ized in the County. 

The first town meeting was held April 6, 1852, 
at the house of Thomas Spencer. The following 
officers were elected at that meeting : 

Chairmam — Lyman Dayton; Supervisors — J. 
W. Chandler, Charles Beadleston; Justices of the 
Peace — J. H. Jones, S. Warner; Town Clerk — J. 
L. Rice. 

Mr. Dayton being unable to attend the annual 
meeting of the County Board, Supervisor Bead- 
leston represented the town at that meeting. 

The first Fourth of July celebration ever held in 
the County was in this town, in 1850, on Lone 
Pine Hill. The Declaration of Independence was 
read by Simon C. Dow, of Lind, after which 
national songs were sung, and patriotic toasts 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 95 

were given. Then the party, thirt^^-three in num- 
ber, partook of a bounteous repast which was 
served under the spreading branches of some beau- 
tiful oaks at the foot of the hill. 

In June, 1850, M. A. Stinchfield built a regular 
frame house on the south bank of Crystal River, 
in Section 6. It was one of the first frame houses 
in town, if not the first. The lumber was hauled 
from Weyauwega. 

One day Mr. Stinchfield employed a man at 
Weyauwega to haul a load of lumber with a yoke 
of oxen. After getting on the lumber, he finished 
off by putting on a few supplies that he had got 
from Oshkosh, among v^hich was a jug of choice 
liquor, which, he assures us, was purchased ''ex- 
pressly for medicine." He managed to hide the 
liquor from the man, knowing his propensity for 
such things. Mr. Stinchfield and another man 
went ahead to look out the road, and left the 
teamster to follow. All went well for a long time, 
when, upon looking back, Stinchfield saw his man 
slyly transfering the contents of the hidden jug to 
his stomach. Upon investigation, the jug was 
found half empty, and the teamster was so " full " 
that they had to tie him on the load to keep him 
from falling ofi". 

When the3^ got the load off they tried to keep 
him till he got sober; but he would start back, 
although it was almost night. So, after fixing him 
up as well as they could, they let him go. He soon 



96 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

went to sleep, and when he awoke it was towards 
morning and he was fast to a tree, and unable to 
tell where he was. It was afterwards found that 
he was on the edge of the Spencer marsh. He 
finally got things straightened out, and reached 
Weyauwega the next night, tired out and nearly 
starved. 

Town officers, 1889: Chairman— W. D. Parish; 
Supervisors — H. Jensen, C. W. Omer; Treasurer 
— George Gerold ; Clerk — Bert Shaw; Assessor — 
C. P. Sibley; Justices of the Peace — M. Burnham, 
R. J. Wolsey, J. H. Warner, C. R. Brown, O. H. 
Perry, H. Pope. 



CHAPTER XI Y. 

Town of Dayton — Its History as Written by J. Holman 
IN 1876— Parfrey's "Pepper Mill"— A Bear Story. 

In treating the Town of Dayton we can not do 
better than to publish entire a sketch by J. Hol- 
man, written in 1876, as follows : 

''At a meeting of the County Board held atMuk- 
wa, December 7, 1852, Township 21 north, of 
Range 11 east, was detached from the Town of 
Lind, and organized as a distinct town, to be 
called Dayton. It was the first single township in 
the County separately organized as a town. 

''At the same meeting, it was ordered that 
the first town meeting for the Town of Day- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 97 

ton be held at the house of Lyman Dayton, on the 
se^ of the ne^ of Section 15. At said town 
meeting, April 15, 1853, the following town of- 
ficers were elected : 

''Chairman — W. C. Carr; Supervisors — Samuel 
Shaw, James Lathrop; Town Clerk— John Martin, 
Jr.; Treasurer — Thomas F. Thompson; Assessors 
—J. D. Chamberlain, S. F. Eaton, and H. N. 
Waterhouse; Town Superintendent — Samuel Sim- 
cock; Justices of the Peace — L. Dayton, Aaron 
Carter, and Amos D. Munger ; Constables — Edwin 
Packard, George Bamhart, and William J. Cham- 
berlain. 

''J. H. Jones also was Justice of the Peace, hav- 
ing been elected the year before, in Lind. Dayton, 
Bamhart, and Packard did not qualify. 

''It was voted that the next town meeting, in 
1854, be held at the house of W. C. Carr, Crystal 
Lake, ne^ of Section 28. The town meeting of 
1855 was held at the house of J. H. Jones, Rural ; 
and that of 1856 was held at Parfreyville. Since 
then the town meetings have been held alternately 
at Rural and Parfreyville. 

" The first settler in the Town of Dayton was a 
Mr. Hitchcock, who built a shanty in April, 1850, 
on the farm now owned by W. D. Emmons, nw^ 
of ne^A of Section 8. His family being sick, he left 
the next Fall, 1850. 

"Early in 1850, Samuel Shaw settled on the 
farm no\Y owned b^^ E. M. Sawyer, se^A of ne^ of 



98 HISTORY. OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Section 7, and about the same time Thomas F. 
Thompson settled on the farm now owned by 
William Harden, better known as the Ashman 
place, ne^ of se^ of Section 7. 

"In May, 1850, George C. Van Horn arrived, 
driving the first team of horses into the town. He 
settled on the farm now owned by Mrs. Van Horn, 
Section 7. Van Horn built the first log house in 
town, on the ne^A of swi/4 of Section 7. The house 
was not ready to live in until near Fall. Before 
that time, their only shelter was a carpet hung 
over some poles, Mrs. Van Horn doing the cook- 
ing in the open air. Mr. Van Horn broke the first 
land in town, in May, 1850, on Section 7. 

"June 20, 1850, George Barnhart, Joseph Rob- 
bins, and Aaron L., John and Anthony Forbes 
arrived with their families, in all twenty persons. 

"Barnhart, after living in his covered wagon 
about six weeks, built a shanty on the farm now 
owned by E. Gallup, se^ of Section 13. The same 
Fall, 1850, he moved his shanty to the nwl4 of 
swi/4 of Section 11, on the south bank of the river. 

"Joseph Robbins settled on the farm now owned 
by Mrs. H. Taloda, nwl^ of Section 24. 

"Aaron Forbes settled on the farm now owned 
by John Clark, ne^ of Section 24. 

"John Forbes settled on the ne^ of sel4 of Sec- 
tion 24, just where the road from the northwest 
strikes the town line. 

"Anthony Forbes settled in Lind. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 99 

*'In July, 1850, Lyman Dayton arrived and set- 
tled on the farm now owned by Norman Baker, 
se^ of nw^ of Section 15. 

*VWe can not ascertain that any others came in 
1850. 

"Among those who came in 1851 were Robert 
Parfrey, Section 11, Parfrey ville ; J. H. Jones, ne^/4 
of Section 10 ; W. Caley, se of se of Section 2, 
where he now lives ; J. A. Robbins, on the farm 
now owned by William Radley, ne of se of 
Section 20 ; H. H. Waterhouse, on the farm now 
owned by John Burgoyne, ne of Section 31 ; W. J. 
Chamberlain, on the farm now owned by R. Neil- 
son, nw of sw of Section 7 ; S. Story, where he 
how lives, nw of sw of Section 8 ; O. Butcher, on 
the farm now owned by J. Day, se of ne of Section 
14; Thomas Morgan, on the farm now owned by 
F. Shoemaker, sw of sw of Section 15 ; and Joseph 
and Robert McCrossen, on the farm now owned 
by A. P. Hyatt, se of se of Section 4. 

" Early in 1852 the following named persons ar- 
rived, forming what is still called the "Crystal 
Lake Settlement: " W. C. and W. S. Carr, Section 
28 ; Rev. Samuel and William Simcock, Section 21 ; 
Chester Packard, Section 34; Edwin and Sumner 
Packard, Section 27; S. Randall, Section 21; J. 
Conklin, Section 22 ; and S. F. and W. S. Eaton, 
Section 34. 

"Also, in 1852, came F. Suydam, Section 31; 
John Martin, Jr., Section 19; A. D. Munger, Sec- 



100 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

tion 6; A.Carter, Section 20; H. McLean, Sec- 
tion 25 ; Joseph A. Lathrop, Section 1 ; E. Smith, 
Section 1 ; R. Rorabacher, Section 19 ; and Joseph 
Edwards, Section 22. 

^'W. D. Emmons, F. Shoemaker, G. W. Stine- 
mates, J. Stratton, J. Day, A. Potts, and others, 
came in 1853. 

"Among the many who came in 1854 were M. 
H. Rice, S. W. Hoyt, and R. Holman. 

*'For the first season or two provisions were 
not very plentiful. The settlers could supply them- 
selves with venison and other game without going 
far from their clearings, but for flour, groceries, 
etc., they were obliged to go to Strong's Landing, 
as Berlin was then called, and some of them went 
even to Sheboygan and Milwaukee for supplies. 

''In the Fall of 1850 Mrs. Dayton was obliged 
to eke out her small supply of flour with an oc- 
casional dish of soup, which she made by chop- 
ping some com in a bowl. About the same time, 
bread became very scarce at Van Horn's. Mr. Van 
Horn, after putting up his log house, had gone 
with his team to Racine County, to work on a 
threshing machine, after which he was to return 
with a load of supplies. But before his return Mrs. 
Van Horn had got nearly to the bottom of the 
flour sack ; so she went to Mr. Hitchcock, on the 
Emmons place, to try to buy some buckwheat, of 
which he had about half an acre standing in the 
shock. He told her he was going to move away 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 101 

soon, and she could have the buckwheat if she 
could use it. The next day she took her carpet for 
a threshing floor, and some bags, and went down 
and carried the shocks together, and pounded them 
out with a stick, getting six bags of grain and 
chaff. With the first favorable breeze she win- 
nowed out a half bushel of grain, and, taking it 
on foot to Mr. Dayton's, ground it in their coffee 
mill, and sifted it in their seive, leaving the bran 
for toll.* 

'' But Dayton's coffee mill soon gave way to the 
''Pepper Mill," as Parfrey's grist mill, built in 
1851, was called. Parfrey's grist mill was 16 x 20 
feet, boarded up and down. The shafts were made 
of tamarac and oak, unhewn. The wobble of the 
machinery, occasioned by crooked shafts, was 
counteracted by tightening pulleys, weighted down 
with stones. The belts were made of bags, sewed 
together, and cotton factory cloth. 

'' It is well remembered that the first grinding in 
Parfrey's mill was one Saturday afternoon. The 
next day Parfrey attended meeting at the house 
of Thomas Spencer. After the sermon, and before 
the benediction vras fairly finished, Parfrey jumped 
to his feet, and, taking a handful of flour from the 
tail pocket of his coat, shouted at the top of his 
voice, ' Here's a sample of my flour ! ' 

*That is a fair sample of the kind of helpmates the first settlers of 
our County were blessed with. Long live the memory of the pioneer 
women of Waupaca County! J. W. 



102 HISTORY OF V/AUPACA COUNTY. 

'^The 'v\^ater power at Parfreyville was staked 
out and claimed by Thomas Spencer in the Spring 
of 1850, and was by him given to Parfrey on con- 
dition that he should build a mill and grind a 
bushel of corn before the mill then being built at 
Waupaca (in 1851) should grind a kernel. Par- 
frey accomplished the task. 

''Custom increased rapidly, and in 1855 Par- 
frey took a partner into the business, and built a 
large mill on the spot where the old one stood. 
But Parfrey's partner and the hard times of 1857 
were too much for him ; so he sold his interest in 
the mill at Parfreyville, and built a small mill at 
the foot of Junction Lake. But, his financial em- 
barrassment continuing, he disposed of his mill at 
Junction Lake, and left the country. 

" In 1863 the mill at Parfreyville was thorough- 
ly repaired by J. D. Kast, after which it did a 
large and paying business until Christmas, 1874, 
when it was burned to the ground. In the Spring 
of 1876 the high water, which was the highest 
ever known in this stream, destroyed the dam, 
leaving the v^ater to flow in its old channel, and 
thus uncovering ground that had been under 
w^ater since the summer of 1851. 
« "Parfrey's house, the first built in Parfreyville, 
was 12 X 14 feet. It was built in March, 1851, by 
George Barnhart, while Parfrey was away after 
his family. It stood on the south side of the 
river, close by the two pine trees now standing on 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 103 

the bank. The pines were transplanted when very 
small, twent^^-three 3^ears ago. The road leading 
toward Crystal Lake now crosses the exact spot 
where the old house stood. 

''The first frame house in town was built by J. 
H. Jones, early in 1851. It stood on the south 
side of the river, at the foot of Junction Lake. 

*' In the Fall and Winter of 1852, Jones built the 
house now owned by W. J. Chamberlain, in Rural. 

"In 1856, Jones built the mill building now 
owned by J. and C. S. Ashman, but the machinery 
was not put in operation until 1862. 

''In 1853 James A. Lathrop built a saw mill at 
Crystal River, which was operated until it had ex- 
hausted the pine that grew along the streams and 
lakes of Dayton and Farmington, and in the 
swamps of Lind. 

"In 1867, Lathrop & Palmer built a carding 
mill on the spot where the saw mill stood. 

"In 1855, Lathrop & Barnum built the grist 
mill now owned by E. Gruner. 

"The first postofiSce in town was established in 

1851. 'Nepawan' was the name, and L. Dayton 
was the first postmaster. In 1853, Nepawan post- 
office was removed to Rural, and J. H. Jones was 
appointed postmaster. 

"The first public school in town was taught in 

1852, by Miss Eunice Randall, now Mrs. W. S. 
Carr, in the Pleasant Valley neighborhood, in a 



104 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

shanty school house which stood on the farm now 
owned by R. Neils on. 

*'A private school was taught the same Summer 
(1852) by Miss Almira Dayton, in one room of J. 
H. Jones' house, at Junction Lake. Miss Dayton's 
way of noting the flight of time during school 
hours was by watching the shadow of the sash 
upon the A\4ndow sill, which she had marked off 
for the different hours of the day. 

''The first frame school house was built at 
Pleasant Valley, in 1854. It is still in use. It then 
stood a little west from where E. M. Sawyer now 
lives. 

''In the Summer of 1853, Miss Eunice Randall 
taught the first school in the Crystal Lake neigh- 
borhood, in the log house of Mr. Simcock. The 
house still stands on the farm now owned by T. 
F. Fuller. 

" The first school house at Rural was the small 
house now occupied by William Nickel. One of the 
first who taught in it was Miss Ellen Jane Jones, 
now Mrs. J. Ashman. 

"The first school at Parfreyville was taught in 
the Summer of 1854, by Miss Jane Lathrop, in a 
shanty on the lot where the school house now 
stands. W. S. Carr taught in the same shanty in 
the Winter of 1855-56. The school house now in 
use was built by W. C. Barlow in the Fall of 
1856. At the present time there are eight school 
houses in town. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 105 

**The first preaching in town was by a Metho- 
dist minister by the name of Miller, and by the 
Rev. Cutting Marsh, Indian missionary at Wau- 
paca. Rev. Samuel Simcock also preached during 
1852 and for three 3^ears thereafter. John Martin, 
Jr., preached occasionally at Pleasant Valley, in 
the house of T. F. Thompson. 

''The first funeral in town was that of a child 
of Joseph Robbins, Section 24, in August, 1850. 
The first adult person who died in the town was 
the wife of Robert Parfrey, in March, 1851. 

'' The first white child born in the town was Cal- 
vin Morgan, son of Thomas and Fanny Morgan, 
and grandson of L. Dayton, in Februar3% 1851. 

'' The first marriage ceremony in tov^m was per- 
formed by J. H. Jones, Justice of the Peace. The 
parties were James McCrossen and Miss Cornelia 
A. Jones. 

" The first public highway in town was a State 
road from Weyauwega, in the direction of Stevens 
Point. It crossed the farm now owned by C. 
Sheldon, and passed on westward by Dayton's 
place. The first bridge was built near Dayton's. 

''The road from the west, through Rural, Par- 
freyville, and Crystal River, was laid out in 1852. 
The remains of the first bridge at Parfreyville can 
3^et be seen, just above the present bridge. Before 
the bridge was built, the river was forded a few 
rods farther north, at the place where C. M. Jones' 
wagon shop now stands. 



106 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

''The first blacksmith in town was WilHam 
Caley. He had a small shop in 1851 and 1852, 
about thirty rods north of the bridge, at Parfrey- 
Yille, on the north bank of the river, where the 
house of S. H. Conklin now stands. The black- 
smith shop now in use at Parfreyville v/as built 
by R. Holman in 1854, and is the oldCvSt building 
now standing. 

"In 1852, N. P. Judson kept a small supply of 
groceries, etc., in a shanty on the south side of the 
river, about one hundred rods west from Parfrey's. 
He soon moved to Waupaca. 

"In January, 1855, S. W. Hoyt opened a store 
in the wing of R. Holman 's house. L. J. Hebard 
was Hoyt's clerk. 

" The total value of all property in town at the 
first assessment, in 1853, was $9,630.75. Taxes 
for that year were as follows : State tax, $57.59 ; 
County tax, $78.89; County school tax, $25; 
Town tax, $70; total, $231.68. The town tax 
included $35 voted to pay indebtedness incurred 
in 1852, while connected with Lind." 

J. Holman. 

In 1853, W. C. Carr planted the first apple tree. 
He raised fruit about ten years later. 

The first winter after Mr. Carr built his house, 
which was 18 x 24 feet, he had to accommodate, 
for several weeks, four families besides his own 
— people who had made claims and were waiting 
to put up cabins. Besides that, he was continual- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 107 

13^ keeping travelers who were looking for land. 
That is the way many of our old pioneers were 
forced to spend a few of the first years in this then 
wild region ; and we are fain to believe that the 
majority of them really enjoyed life with a zest un- 
known after a country becomes settled and im- 
proved. At least, such is our experience, and we 
often hear the same sentiment expressed by others 
who have had pioneer experiences. 
We shall give a bear story, told us by Mr. Carr : 
One day Mrs. Carr went into the garden, and 
sav/ there what she took to be a large black dog. 
She immediately returned, and reported what she 
had seen. Mr. Carr quickly went out, and found 
just what he anticipated — a young bear, quite 
large. As he approached it, young bruin started 
for the tree fence, and, as it was going through, 
Mr. Carr grabbed for its foot, but missed it. He 
then gave the alarm, and his son put the dogs on 
the track. The bear was soon treed and shot. 
Carr thinks that if he could onl}^ have got hold of 
that bear's foot, there would have been lively 
times in that garden — and we rather think the 
old gentleman is right ! 

The following is a Hst of the town officers for 
1889: Chairman — P. A. Hamm ; Supervisors — 
N. M. Darling, A. E. Williams; Treasurer— M. E. 
Barton; Clerk — L. F. Shoemaker; Assessor— E. 
L. Devine; Justices of the Peace — T. Court, W. S. 
Eaton. 



108 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XV. 

Town op Farmington — Historical Sketch by C. L. Green. 
List of Early Settlers — An Old Railroad Project. 

Historical sketch of the Town of Farmington, 
read by C. L. Green at the Centennial celebration 
in the Village of Rural, July 4, 1876 : 

''Township 22 north, of Range 11 east, known 
as the Town of Farmington, was first settled by 
Ambrose M. Gard, who made his claim in Septem- 
ber, 1849, on the ne^. of the nw^ of Section 25. 

"As the tide of immigration was fast pouring 
into the then 'far west,' the country soon became 
settled. Among the first settlers may be named 
Roswell Hicks and Granville Jones, who made 
their claims on Section 27 in the Fall of 1849, 
building the first house in the town, into which 
they moved about the 28th of December, having 
passed a portion of the Winter in a cloth tent at 
Waupaca Falls, undergoing all the privations and 
hardships of frontier life; being surrounded by 
Indians and wild beasts ; living for several months 
upon com ground in a common cofiee mill, and de- 
prived of many of the comforts of civilized life. 

"The first white child bom in the town was 
Rollin Jones, in 1851. 

"The first plowing was done by Mr. Jones in the 
Spring of 1850. The nearest grist mill being at 
Plover, in Portage County, they were obliged to 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 109 

take their grain there to be ground, taking three 
days to go and return with oxen. 

*' C. O. Brown, a native of Sweden, came here in 
1849.* Going to New York in 1851, he returned 
with about seventy families of his countrymen, a 
number of whom settled in the northeast quarter 
of the town. 

''On the 4th of July, 1851, just a quarter of a 
century ago, the patriotism of the country united 
in the first grand celebration of American In- 
dependence held in Waupaca County. The cele- 
bration was held on the farm of Granville Jones, 
on the north side of Maple Island Lake. The 
orator of the day was Wilson Holt, then residing 
at Waupaca. Fifty persons were present, having 
come from all directions, on foot, and with oxen.f 

" As the land in this part of the country had not 
yet come into market, it could not be entered. It 
was not until the year 1852 that it was offered 
for sale. In that year the following named persons 
entered land at the land office in Menasha : Abi- 
gal C. Sessions, Roswell Hicks, Horace Dewey, 
Ambrose M. Gard, William Dudterman, Merrick 
Barton, John M. Dewey, Caleb Preston, John 
McArthur, F. S. King, Robert Morrison, A. R. 
Gray, C. O. Brown, S. Leonard, J. K. Parish, 

*C. O. Brown first came in 1850, and went to New York and re- 
turned with the emigrants in 1852. J. W. 

fThis is a mistake. The first Fourth of July celebration in Wau- 
paca County was held on Lone Pine Hill, Lind, in 1850. J. W. 



110 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

George W. Ross, Otis Beck, Jonas Nordeen, John 
Harris, Francis Beardmore, A. E. Erickson, Alfred 
Godfrey, Maurice Hearn, Eastman Arnie, George 
Roberts, William P. Edwards, and Granville Jones. 

''April 15, 1853, the town \sras formed, the name 
Farmington being given to it by Mr. Beardmore. 
Previous to that time it belonged to Waupaca. 

'' The first election was held at the house of John 
Fischer, on the first Tuesday of April, 1854. Forty 
votes w^ere cast. The officers elected were : Chair- 
man — Granville Jones ; Supervisors — Merrick 
Barton, C. O. Brown ; Clerk — Francis Beardmore ; 
Treasurer — C. O. Brown. 

"In 1861 an effort was made to build a railroad 
from Fremont to Stevens Point, via Waupaca.* 
Aid was asked of the several towns along the pro- 
posed line of the road. Farmington responded by 
voting $700, also by subscriptions from individu- 
als. The funds were used, the grading partly com- 
pleted to Waupaca, and then the project was 
abandoned. Since that time the Wisconsin Central 
railroad has been built through the town, giving 
it good transportation facilities. 

"The chief products are v^^heat, corn, oats, rye, 
barley, buckwheat, potatoes, hops, and wool. 

"An incident of the early days may be here re- 
lated: A large black bear invaded the territor3^, 
and the settlers congregated to drive him a^way. 

*The Oshkosh, Fremont & Wausau railroad. J. W. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. Ill 

He was driven across Maple Island Lake to what 
is called Raspberry Island. Roswell Hicks, seizing 
his large saber between his teeth, swam across the 
lake and drove him back to the main land, where 
he was slain by the land forces." 

The foregoing well written sketch was published 
in the Waupaca County Republican, but we copy 
it from the original manuscript, kindly lent us by 
Mr. Green. It is in the main accurate, so far as it 
goes, and we gladly avail ourselves of its assist- 
ance in writing up the town. 

The Tov^n of Farmington is bounded on the 
north by Scandinavia, on the east by Waupaca, on 
the south by Dayton, and on the west by Portage 
County. It is a good farming town, is settled by 
an enterprising, industrious people, and is getting 
well improved. It is a good place to settle in, and 
the emigrant could easily go farther and fare 
worse than by setting his stakes there. 

The first school taught was by Miss Orlie, in the 
Leonard district — No. 1. 

The first school house was built in the Leonard 
district. 

The first church (Lutheran) was built on Sec- 
tion 10. 

Mr. Leonard built the first saw mill. In 1874 
he also built the first grist mill. 

The first postofliice was established on Section 7, 
with W. H. Cipperly as postmaster. 



112 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The first mail route was from Waupaca to 
Plover. 

The Government survey was made in 1851. The 
next survey was made by A. V. Balch in 1852. 

The first store was kept by W. H. Cipperly. 

The first apple tree was planted by Francis 
Beardmore, in 1854, and he raised the first apples. 

Town ofl[icers for 1889 : Chairman — Fred 
Fisher; Supervisors — Thomas Anderson, James 
Morey; Treasurer— A. Anderson; Clerk — F. B, 
Pitcher; Assessor — John McFall; Justices of the 
Peace — Will Beardmore, James Swan, William 
Topping. 

CHAPTER XVI. 

TowjN" OF RoYALTON — First Settlement in 1848, by Hicks, 
Leuthold, and Gill— a Good Farming and Stock 
Raising Town. 

The Town of Royalton consists of Township 22 
north, Range 13 east. It is bounded on the north 
by the Town of Little Wolf, on the east by Muk- 
wa, on the south by Weyauwega, and on the west 
by Waupaca. 

There is much first-class farming land in the 
town ; in fact, it ranks among the best for agri- 
cultural pursuits, especially for dairying and stock 
raising. Fruit does well, where cultivated. 

The first settlement was made in 1848 by Hicks, 
Leuthold, and Gill. In 1849 Simeon Hopkins 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 113 

came in and made a claim, then went back for his 
family, and returned in 1850. Others came in 
1850, among them John, M. L., and J. K. Hay- 
wood. 

In 1851 came Joseph Favell, William Shambeau, 
and Marshall Leavitt. 

The first water power claim was made in 1850 
by Hicks, Tourtelloth, and Gill, who built a saw 
mill, since burned, and rebuilt. 

The first grist mill was built by M. L. Haywood 
in 1875. It is now owned by Dr. Dawley. 

The first store was started by Mr. Ellis in 1853. 

The first postofhce was established in 1853, with 
Bradford Phillips for postmaster. The mail route 
was from Green Bay to Stevens Point. 

The first public school was taught by Miss Helen 
Monroe, now Mrs. Thomas, in 1855. Miss M. 
Haywood, now Mrs. Sheldon, taught a private 
school the year before. 

The first school house w^as built in 1857, at 
North Roy alt on. 

The first church (Congregational) was built in 
1866. The first sermon was preached in 1854 by 
Elder Stevens, a Methodist. 

The first marriage was that of Andrew More 
and Persis Haywood, in the Fall of 1853. 

The first death was that of Hattie Searles, in 
1855. 

The first birth was that of Josephine Favell, in 
1853. 



114 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The first town meeting was held at the house of 
O. A. Rich, in April, 1854. 

The first town oflicers were : Chairman — George 
E. More; Supervisors — S. Morse, Marshall Leav- 
itt; Town Clerk — Bradford Phillips; Justices of 
the Peace— R. Barsteen, A. Wheeler, T. A. Butter- 
field, H. Sherman; Constable— M. L. Haywood. 

The first law suit was before Bradford Phillips, 
Justice of the Peace, in 1853. The case was 
'' Rich YS. Hugh Sellers." 

M. L. and John Haywood hauled the first logs 
cut at the mill, in 1850. The lumber was used in 
the mill. 

The first apple trees were set out by John P. 
More in 1855. John Haywood planted apple 
seeds in 1851. An apple tree from one of those 
seeds planted thirty-nine years ago is now stand- 
ing on the premises of his son, M. E. Haywood, in 
the Village of Royalton. It is still healthy and 
vigorous, producing excellent apples — having 
borne, so he tells us, as many as twenty-five 
bushels in one season. The trunk of the tree, two 
feet from the ground, raeasures more than four feet 
in circumference. 

White Lake, the largest lake in the County, is in 
this town. It covers nearly all of Section 21, and 
portions of Sections 15, 16, 20, 22, 28, and 29. 
The grove on the south shore of White Lake was 
for many years the favorite picnic ground for the 
Old Settlers' Society and other organizations. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 115 

Town officers for 1889: Chairman — F. Conrad; 
Supervisors — W. C. Ritchie, J. Seele3^; Treasurer 
—J.C.Ritchie; Clerk — E. T. Mathews; Assessor 
— F. J. Deane; Justices of the Peace — E. B. Davis, 
William Masters. 

VILLAGE OF ROYALTON. 

The Village of Royalton has four general stores, 
one hardw^are store, one saloon, two livery barns, 
one hotel, one grist mill, one saw mill, one black- 
smith shop, one wheelright shop, one insurance 
agent, two doctors, and one minister. It has an 
excellent water power. 

The Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad 
passes through the village. 



CHAPTER XYII. 

Town of Caledonia — First Settlement in 1819, by James 
McHuGH — Organized in 1853. 

The Towm of Caledonia originally consisted of 
Township 21, Range 14, but when the Town of 
Fremont was formed. Sections 17, 18, 19, 20, 29, 
30, 31, and 32 were taken therefrom and attached 
to Fremont. 

Caledonia is bounded on the north by the Town 
of Mukwa, on the east by Outagamie County, on 
the south by Winnebago County and the Town of 
Fremont, and on the west by Fremont and Wej^- 
auweea. 



116 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The town was organized in 1853. The first 
town meeting was held in 1854, at the house of 
James McHugh. 

The first town ofiScers were : Chairman — 
Thomas Gore; Supervisors — John Fife, Jacob 
Whitaker; Town Clerk ; Town Treas- 
urer — John Littlefield. 

The first settlement was in 1849, by James 
McHugh, who built the first house (log) on Sec- 
tion 24. It is still standing. 

The first child bom in town was a boy of James 
McHugh. 

The first death was that of a boy of John Little- 
field, August 25, 1856. 

The first marriage was F. M. Fowler and Sarah 
J. Littlefield, June 22, 1854. The marriage cere- 
mony was performed by A. B. Kinnear, Justice of 
the Peace. 

The first school taught was by Miss Phoebe Lit- 
tlefield, now Mrs. Lyman Otis, in 1854. 

The first school house ^was built in 1854. 

The first church (Lutheran) was built in 1867. 

The first sermon preached in town was by Elder 
Mitchell, a Baptist, in 1855. 

The first saw mill was built in 1870, by ^' Con " 
Ruggles, who also built the first grist mill in the 
same year. 

The first postoffice was established in 1854, and 
called Readfield, with John Littlefield as post- 
master. The mail route was from Menasha to 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 117 

Waupaca, and the mail was carried by John- 
son. 

Theodore Conkey did the first surveying, in 
1846 — the Government survey. 

The first law suit in town was Frank Houghton 
vs. Harvey Jewell, in 1854, before Thomas Bishop, 
Justice of the Peace. 

The first store was started by Ward. 

. In 1853, John Littlefield planted the first apple 
trees, and in 1860 he raised the first apples. 

Caledonia is quite heavily timbered. The soil is 
generally well adapted to agricultural purposes, 
and many good farms are being well cultivated. 

Town officers for 1889 : Chairman — Louis 
Knoke; Supervisors — August P. Tews, William 
Brehmer ; Treasurer — George Mader ; Clerk — 
Ernst Keison; Assessor — Christ Vohs; Justices of 
the Peace — Fred Prebono, Louis Knoke. 



CHAPTER XVni. 

Town of Fremont — First Settlement by D. Gorden in 
1849 — Organized in 1855 — Springer's Point — Village 
OF Fremont Organized in 1888 — Killing of Wau-ke- 

JOHN. 

The Town of Fremont comprises Sections 17, 
18, 19, 20, 29, 30, 31 and 32, Range 14, taken 
from Caledonia, and Sections 24, 25, 26, 27, and 
28, the south half of Sections 29 and 30, and the 
whole of Sections 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, and 36, 



118 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Township 21, Range 13, taken from the Town of 
Weyanwega. It is the smallest town in the 
County, containing but twenty sections. It is 
bounded on the north by the Towns of Weyau- 
wega and Caledonia, on the east by Caledonia, on 
the south by the Counties of Winnebago and 
Waushara, and on the west by Lind and Weyau- 
wega. 

The town was organized in 1865. The first 
town meeting was held at the house of A. J. 
Mayo, in the Village of Fremont, in April, 1865. 
The first town officers, elected at said meeting, 
were: Chairman — Ira Sumner; Supervisors — A. 
T. Montgomery, John Brickley; Town Clerk — 
M. B. Patchen; Treasurer — Henry G. Schroeder; 
Justices of the Peace — Ira Sumner, J. S. Bartlett, 
C. C. Kinsman. 

The first law suit was before Justice Bartlett, in 
1866. The parties were Ira Sumner, plaintiff, and 
Charlie Peters, defendant. It was a jury trial. 
The jurors were John Brickley, I. N. Kinsman, C. 

V. Isbell, Benjamin Brickley, Deming, and 

George Finley. C. C. Kinsman appeared as coun- 
sel for Sumner, and J. B. Strain for Peters. After 
a long and spirited trial, the jury brought in a 
verdict of eighteen cents for the plaintiff, that 
amount being the balance due on a bushel of corn. 

Fremont was one of the first settled towns in 
the County. The first settlement was made in the 
Spring of 1849. The first shanty within the 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 119 

present limits of the town was built in the Spring 
of 1849, by D. Gorden, on a claim in Section 25, 
where the Village of Springer's Point was after- 
wards laid out. During the same year a man 
named Crosby built a log shanty on the west side 
of Wolf River, near the present crossing, on Sec- 
tion 25. 

The same year, Ira Sumner built a board shanty 
on the east side of the river, it being the first dwell- 
ing erected on that side. Harman Mumbrue made 
a claim on the w^est side of the river, where the 
Presbyterian Church now stands. The three East- 
mans, and a man named Hill, made claims on Sec- 
tion 25. Frank Millett made a claim on the place 
afterwards owned by Alvah Sherburne. 

The next year other settlers came, among them 
Benjamin Brickle3^ and the Bergs tressers, who set- 
tled on the east side of the river. Amos Riley made 
a claim on Section 27. A man named Rowley 
made a claim and built a shanty on the west side 
of the river; and another, named Clow, made a 
claim at the ''red banks," a short distance up the 
river from where the village now stands. 

During the same year Ira Sumner put up the 
first frame house. It was framed by Harman 
Mumbrue, was on the east side of the river, and 
is still standing, being a portion of the old Booth 
House. 

In 1851, W. A. Springer moved from Little 
River, where he had located two years before, and 



120 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

settled near the mouth of Partridge Lake, where 
he subsequently laid out a village, giving it the 
name of "Springer's Point." It is now incorpo- 
rated v^ith the Village of Fremont, of which it 
forms a part. 

Alvah Sherburne came in February, 1853, and 
bought out the claim of Frank Millett, Section 36. 

The first hotel was started by Ira Sumner, in 
1850, on the east side of the river. 

The first school ^was taught in the Sumner school 
district, by Miss Stroud in 1853. 

The first school house was built in the same dis- 
trict in 1854. 

The first store was kept by Benjamin Brickley 
and Samuel Bergstresser, on the east side of the 
river, in 1850. 

The first saw mill (steam) was built in 1856, by 
S. F. Conant and M. J. Russell, at the outlet of 
Partridge Lake. 

The first dock and warehouse were built by 
Bender & Kinsman in 1855, at the lower landing, 
being on the site where the warehouse of I. N. 
Kinsman now stands. 

The first grist mill was built in 1876, by C. C. 
Arnold. The mill was subsequently owned by 
George I. Smith. It has since been burned. 

The first postoffice was established in 1853 on 
the east side of the river, with Ira Sumner for post- 
master. It was subsequently moved to the west 
side, where it remains. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 121 

The first mail route was from Oshkosh to 
Stevens Point. The mail was carried by "Old 
Jack" once in two weeks, np the Wolf River in a 
sail boat to Fremont, and the rest of the way on 
foot. 

The first child born in town was Charles, son of 
Riley Eastman, in 1851. Charles Eastman now 
lives in St. Lawrence. 

The first death was that of young David Riley, 
in 1850. 

The first marriage was that of Frank Millett 
and Betsy Eaton, June 22, 1851. Elder Miller, 
a Methodist, officiated. 

The first sermon was preached by Rev. John 
Baxter, a Congregationalist, in 1851. 

The first church (Presbyterian) was built in 
1873. 

The first survey was made in 1846, by Theodore 
Conkey, who subdivided as far west as the west 
line of Township 21 north. Range 14 east. That 
^vas the Government survey. The next surve34ng 
was done by Ira Sumner in 1849. 

The first bridge across the Wolf River was built 
by Abel Neff, of Oshkosh. It was a toll bridge. 
After a few years it was purchased by the town, 
and made free. It did good service until the great 
freshet in the Spring of 1888, when it was swept 
away. In the Summer and Fall of that year it 
was replaced by a first-class bridge, with an iron 
turn-table resting on a substantial stone pier. Its 



122 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

cost was more than $5,000, the town and village 
bearing half the expense, and the County the re- 
mainder. 

The first apple tree was planted in 1851, by Mr. 
Springer, and in 1854 he raised the first apples. 

In 1857 a weekly newspaper was started at Fre- 
mont. It was called the Fremont Pioneer, and 
was *' neutral in politics." It ^was edited by John 
M. Dewey, of Waupaca. It survived only one 
year. The first number is before us, dated No- 
vember 4, 1857, — five columns on a page. Among 
the advertisements we find: ''The Fremont 
House, by A. J. Mayo." ''Wolf River House, J. 
P. Shoemaker, Proprietor." "Evan Townsend, 
Notary Public and General Land Agent." " Steam 
Saw Mill, Damon & Springer." "Store, J. Bender 
& Co." "T. W. Brisbine, Dry Goods, Etc." 
"Livermore's Variety Store." "Steam Shingle 
Mill, Hubbard, Manzer & Co." 

The town officers for 1889 were : Chairman— J. 
Wakefield; Supervisors — Jacob Steiger, C. V. 
Isbell; Clerk — F. D. Stange; Treasurer — Henry 
Spindler; Justices of the Peace— J. Wakefield, H. 
Spindler; Constable — Frank Hicks. 

VILLAGE OF FREMONT. 

The Village of Fremont is located on both sides 
of the Wolf River. Its population is about 300. 
There is no good crossing of the river for miles 
above and below Fremont, and this fact, together 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 123 

with the excellent bridge at the village, makes 
considerable travel to and through the town. 

The village was organized in May, 1888, when 
an assessor and other village officers were elected. 

The first officers were : President — E. L. Damon ; 
Trustees — Charles Hildebrand, August Lucht, 
Adam Walter, W. E. N. Roy, Fred Gabel, C. Kins- 
man; Clerk — William Sherburne ; Assessor — Fred 
Gabel; Treasurer— I. N. Kinsman; Police Justice 
— William Sherburne; Village Justice — E. L. 
Damon; Supervisor — H. Randle. 

Officers for 1889: President — Dr. C. D. Eddy; 
Trustees — C. Kinsman, August Lucht, W. E. N. 
Roy, Herman Amdt, George Bergstresser, Albert 
Steiger; Clerk — William Sherburne; Treasurer— 
I. N. Kinsman; Village Justice— E. L. Damon; 
Assessor— Adam Walter; Supervisor — H. Randle. 

Fremont has one saw mill, 2 blacksmith shops, 
1 wagon shop, 1 shoe shop, 1 agricultural im- 
plement warehouse, 3 churches, 1 high school, 4 
stores, 1 hotel, 2 saloons, and 2 phj^sicians. 

DEATH OF WAU-KE-JOHN. 

This noted Indian was a war chief of the Me- 
nominees. Honored by his tribe, his noble qual- 
ities had won the respect of the whites, whose 
friend he was. His tragic fate was lamented by 
both whites and Indians. We shall give the par- 
ticulars of the affair as they were given us by W. 
A. Springer, who was in the neighborhood when 



124 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

the chief was killed, and who saw him a few hours 
afterwards, and was present at the funeral : 

During the Summer of 1852, a band of about 
300 Menominee Indians were going down the 
river in their canoes, bound for Winneconne to pro- 
cure ammunition. Landing on the marsh, on the 
east side of the river, a little above Fremont, they 
met a Chippewa, who was on his way up the 
river. This Chippewa and Wau-ke-john were not 
on very good terms, having had some previous 
difficulty. 

The Chippewa asked Wau-ke-john for a drink of 
whisky; and, upon being refused, shot the chief 
through the heart. A nephew of Wau-ke-john then 
sprang forward and buried his hatchet in the mur- 
derer's brain. 

According to Indian law, it was his privilege, as 
the near relative of the murdered brave, to thus 
avenge his murder. 

The murderer laid v^here he fell a day or two, 
when some of his tribe came and buried him near 
where he met his punishment. It was reported 
that the friends of Wau-ke-john cut out the mur- 
derer's heart. 

Immediately after the murder, the band took the 
body of their murdered chief into a canoe, and car- 
ried it down to where the Village of Fremont is 
located. Landing on the flat near where the Pres- 
byterian Church now stands, just below the out- 
let of Partridge Lake, they pitched their tents. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 125 

Soon after they landed, our informant, in com- 
pany witli another man, paid a visit to their 
camp. They were met by the dead brave's wife 
and daughter, who appeared in great distress, and 
who, with sobs, exclaimed, '' Wau-ke-john nepo ! 
Wau-ke-john nepo ! " (Wau-ke-john killed !) They 
were fine looking, intelligent women. Receiving an 
invitation, the whites followed the women into 
the tent, where they found six or eight Indians sit- 
ting around a small fire smoking very long pipes, 
and uttering a sort of mournful chant all the 
time. 

The wife and daughter led them to where lay the 
dead chieftain, and showed them where the bullet 
entered the body, directly over his heart. The 
chief was dressed well for an Indian. He had on 
a fine, black frock coat, and was a splendid speci- 
men of savage life. He appeared about forty-five 
years old. The chief's son, a bright looking boy, 
was with the party. Everything was perfectly 
quiet and orderly throughout the camp. 

The next morning they got William G. Sher- 
burne, a son of Alvah Sherburne, to make a nice 
cofiin; and about 4 o'clock in the afternoon prep- 
arations for the fimeral commenced. The Indians 
formed a sort of hollow square on the river bank, 
with the coffin and the chief's relatives in the 
center. Then the *^ avenger" and two others step- 
ped into the circle. It was an impressive scene. 
The avenger was silent, but the others spoke, in 



126 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

the Indian tongue, one after the other. Each 
speaker held in his hand, while speaking, a stick 
about three feet long, with which he made gestures 
while addressing the other Indians. The language, 
of course, was unintelligible to our informant, but 
the gestures were graceful and natural, equalled 
by few of our modern orators who have been 
spoiled by education. They were both old, gray- 
headed men. The last orator frequently spoke of 
the "Schmo-ke-men." It has since been learned 
that, while extolling the deceased and enumerating 
his many virtues, he spoke of the respect enter- 
tained for him by the ^' Schmo-ke-men," (whites) 
his friendship for them, etc. 

They divided his personal effects among his 
children, and then put into the coffin with the 
body the following articles : A loaf of bread 
under one arm, and a cake of sugar under the 
other. On his breast were placed his '' medicine 
bag," containing his flint, steel and punk, his war 
paints, and also a large silver medal, having on 
one side the likeness of President Polk, and on the 
reverse a white man's hand clasping that of an 
Indian, with the legend, ''Peace and Friendship." 
The medal was given to the chief by President 
Polk. 

They then closed the coffin. On its lid they 
placed the dead chieftain's war club, and his rifle. 
The club was of hickory, about three and a half 
feet long, and two inches in diameter at the larger 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 127 

end. The bark, which had not been removed, had 
the appearance of age. The club was carved at 
one end to fit the hand. 

They put the coffin, with the rifle and war club, 
into a canoe and started up the river, accom- 
panied by two or three Indians. The rest of them 
went on down the river towards Winneconne. 
The body was buried at the ''bark lodge," near 
the ''Cutoff," two miles above Gills Landing. 
Messrs. Springer, Sumner, and Sherburne, with 
their families, and perhaps a few other whites, 
were present at the funeral. 

Since writing the above, Hon. H. C. Mumbrue, 
of Waupaca, tells us that he thinks our informant 
is mistaken in one or two particulars — that Wau- 
ke-john was shot by mistake, by an Indian who 
intended to kill another with whom he was having 
a quarrel. 

CHAPTER XIX. 

Town of Union — First Settlement by Isaac Ames in 
1855 — Orgai^ized in 1858 — Experience of Nathan John- 
son — Sixteen Persons Sleeping on the Floor of a 
16 X 20-FooT Shanty. 

The Town of Union consists of Township 24, 
Range 13. It is bounded on the north by the 
Town of Dupont, on the east by Bear Creek, on 
the south by Little Wolf, and on the west by Hel- 
vetia. 

The first settlement was made by Isaac Ames, in 
the Fall of 1855. 



128 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The town was organized in April, 1858. The 
first town meeting was held at the house of E. C. 
Scott on the north-east comer of Section 35, April 
6, 1858. Ensign Sprague was chosen Chairman 
of the meeting, N. W. Baldwin, Clerk, and Isaac 
Ames and Samuel Norton, Inspectors of Election. 

An adjournment was then had to a brush heap 
across the way, near the north-west comer of Sec- 
tion 36. A. W. Johnson, an early settler, says: 
'' That brush heap made a good fire, and when one 
side got cold, all they had to do was to turn 
around and warm the other side. They had a 
grand time." That was exercising the rights of 
freemen under difficulties. Mr. Johnson did not 
tell us what sort of a ballot box was used, but we 
presume it was as simple and primitive as their 
arrangements for keeping themselves v^arm. 
Those honest, sturdy voters required no modern 
appliances to prevent illegal voting, or ballot box 
stuffing. 

Nine votes v^ere cast and the following officers 
elected : Chairman — Ensign Sprague; Supervisors 
~0. A. Quimby, Joseph Stroud; Clerk— N. W. 
Baldwin; Treasurer — Samuel Norton; Superin- 
tendent of Schools — David Quimby; Justices of 
the Peace — Isaac Ames, O. A. Quimby, Benjamin 
Dean; Assessors — N. W. Baldwin, Isaac Ames, 
David Quimby ; Constables — David Quimby, 
Daniel Ames, Lewis Devaud. 

In May, 1857, Benjamin Dean and A. W. John- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 129 

son settled on Section 12. They made a house by 
cutting baswood poles, from eight to ten inches in 
diameter, splitting them through the center, and 
then setting them up on end against a pole, 
making a shanty like the roof of a house, with a 
half pitch. For feather beds, they used hemlock 
boughs for about six weeks, sleeping on them 
much sounder than many do on their beds of 
softest down. They had no blankets or quilts. 
Mr. Johnson naively remarks, ''It was rather 
tough for a man who had been married only two 
months ! ' ' 

Mrs. E. C. Scott baked their bread. They went 
after it twice a week, a round trip of ten miles 
through the woods without any road. The 
wolves would frequently follow them, pretty close- 
ly, too, sometimes. And Mr. Johnson is willing 
to swear that the mosquitoes were always ready 
for a lunch. 

Thej paid one dollar a bushel for potatoes, and 
packed them six miles on their backs. They cleared 
and planted three acres that Spring. 

The wild beasts, especially the wolves, were ver3^ 
troublesome. One morning Mr. Dean shot a large 
wolf in their clearing. Mr. Johnson approached 
the wolf as he lay apparently dead. Getting his 
toe under the animal's nose, he tried to raise it 
from the ground. But the wolf was not dead, and 
the first Mr. Johnson knew his toe was in the 
brute's mouth. He was unable to wear his boot 



130 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

for two weeks. He says, "It was fun for Dean, 
but I couldn't see it in that light ! " One thing he 
says he learned — never to trifle with a dead wolf. 
The animal measured seven and a half feet from 
the end of his nose to the tip of his tail. 

The last of June they went back to their families 
in Washington County. Dean returned in the 
Fall. Johnson remained until May, 1859, when 
he returned with his family. He ha.d one cow, and 
the enormous sum of twenty-five cents ! He has 
now 165 acres of land, with sixty acres cleared, 
" and a good family of eight children ! " 

Nathan Johnson, father of A. W., moved into 
the town the last of Ma^^ 1859, from Washington 
County, this State. His family consisted of three 
boys (one of whom had moved in the year before) 
and three girls. He drove an ox team, and 
brought along two cows. They carried bread 
with them ; and when they got hungry they would 
stop, let the oxen feed, milk the cows, get out the 
tins and spoons, and have some bread and milk; 
then they would go on until hungry again. 

They would manage to stop over night at some 
settler's cabin on the way. They were eight days 
on the road. One night they staid at Hortonville, 
Outagamie County. Next day they drove to the 
edge of the marsh between New London and 
Northport, where they stopped, baited their team, 
and ate bread and milk. They had with them 
the two youngest boys, one seven, and the other 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 131 

ten 3'ears of age. The rest of the family had taken 
the boat at Fond du Lac. 

Mr. Johnson says of the trip : "After resting on 
the edge of the marsh, we started out as happy as 
clams at high water, thinking we would soon be 
at onr new home. It soon commenced to rain, 
and we got stuck fast in the mud. I had to hitch 
the team to the hind end of the wagon to pull it 
out of the hole. Then we traveled on foot to 
Northport. It was raining hard when we got 
there. At Northport I got a team and went back 
for the baggage. It took two days from North- 
port to reach our new home. 

"We moved in with Mr. Dean, who lived in a 
16 X 20-foot shanty, in which sixteen persons slept 
on the floor at night. In the day time we moved 
the beds out of doors — when it didn't rain. We 
lived in that way four or five weeks, until we 
could build another shanty. 

"We never took more comfort than we did at 
that time. We were as happy as could be. I was 
fifty 3^ears old the day I started for our new home. 
Now I have a good house, and have been post- 
master about twelve years."* 

The first child born in town was a daughter of 
E. C. and Betsy Scott, October 11, 1856. 

The first marriage was Joel A. Taylor and Mary 
Jane Johnson, October 22, 1865. The ceremony 

*The foregoing was written several years ago. The old gentleman 
has since been called away from his pleasant home. J. W. 



132 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

was performed by W. Dresser, Justice of the Peace, 
from Royalton. 

The first death was that of Ida Jane Laflin, 
August 31, 1863. She was a little over a year old. 

The first school was taught by Amanda Sprague 
in 1859, on Section 36. The same Spring one was 
taught by Sophia C. Johnson on Section 12. In 
the Spring of 1859 school houses wrere built on 
the aforesaid sections. 

The first sermon was preached in 1861, by Rev. 
Joseph Hammond, of Northport. 

In 1873 Ogden & Scott built a saw mill at 
''Union Bridge." 

A postoflftce was established in town in 1862, 
and J. K. Townsend was appointed postmaster. 
The first mail route was from Waupaca to Clinton- 
ville. The mail was carried on foot by Lewis Blein- 
koph. 

The first surveying was done in 1857, by Edwin 
C. Scott.* 

The first law suit was tried February 21, 1874, 
before J. K. Townsend, Justice of the Peace. 

The first store was started in 1873 by George 
Scovill. 

The first apple tree was planted in 1858, near 
the center of Section 12, by Benjamin Dean. 

The Town of Union did its share in the great 
work of putting down the late Rebellion. At the 

*The Government survey was made in 1852, by Samuel Perrin. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 133 

town meeting in the Spring of 1865 only eight 
votes were cast, so many had volunteered or been 
drafted into the seridce. 

Union is a good farming town, but heavily tim- 
bered. The soil is mostly a dark, deep loam. It is 
capable of producing fine crops. 

Considerable maple sugar is made in this town. 

There is still plenty of excellent land to be had 
at reasonable prices. 

The Village of Symco, in Section 31, contains a 
saw mill, a hotel, several general stores, shops, 
etc., and churches and schools. It is on the Little 
Wolf River, which furnishes good water power. 

Town officers for 1889: Chairman — Thomas 
Flannagan ; Supervisors — Gust. Lenke, William 
Lucht; Treasurer — A. W. Johnson; Clerk — L.J. 
Dilley; Assessor — John F. Rogers; Justices of the 
Peace — J. M. Chapin, George B. Bard; Constables 
— M. S. Stroud, J. C. Baldwin, J. F. Rogers. 



CHAPTER XX. 

Town of Dupoxt — First Settled by O. A. Quimby ix 
1857 — Organized in 1864 — Village of Marion. 

The Town of Dupont comprises Township 25 
north, Range 13 east. It is one of the most 
northern towns in Waupaca County. It is bound- 
ed on the north by Shawano County, on the east 
by the Town of Larrabee, on the south by Union, 
and on the west by Wyoming. 



134 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The first settlement was made in 1857, hj O. A, 
Quimby. 

The first marriage ^was L. Devaud and Phoebe 
A. Qnimby, in 1859. The ceremony was performed 
by Isaac Ames, Justice of the Peace. 

The first death was in 1871 — that of Mrs. 
Ramsdell, aged about thirty-four years. 

The first child bom in town ^was F. M. Devaud, 
November, 1859. 

The first school was taught in 1859, by R. 
Quimby. 

The first school house was a log one, 12 x 14 
feet, built in 1859. 

The first sermon was preached by Rev. Silas 
Miller, in 1859. 

The first saw mill was built in 1856, by J. W. 
Perry. 

The first postoffice was established in 1863, with 
A. J. Quimby for postmaster. 

The first mail route was established in 1862, 
from Shawano to Waupaca. L. Panco Vv^as carrier. 

The first survey was made by A. V. Balch in the 
Winter of 1852-53. 

The town was organized in 1864. The first 
town meeting was held April 1, 1864, at the 
school house in School District No. 1. The follow- 
ing town ofl&cers w^ere elected: Chairman — M. 
Griffin; Supervisors — M. Farrell, O. A. Quimby; 
Clerk — J. C. Quimby; Justices of the Peace — O. A. 
Quimby, M. Griffin. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 135 

The first law suit was in 1864, before O. A. 
Quimby, Justice of the Peace. The case was P. 
Garry vs. McDonald. 

The first store was started by G. W. Quimby, in 
1866. 

The first apple tree was planted in 1862, by O. 
A. Quimby, and in 1875 he raised the first apples. 

Dupont is generally heavily timbered. There is 
much hard maple, beech, hemlock, and oak in this 
and other towns in the northern and eastern parts 
of the County. 

The land is rolling, but not very hilly 

The soil is mostly a dark, tenacious loam or 
clay, producing excellent crops. 

The Village of Marion, in this town, is one of 
the most j)rosperous villages in the County. It is 
situated in Section 2, on a good water power of 
the North Branch of the Pigeon River, and on the 
Milvv^aukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad. 
Marion contains 4 general stores, 2 hardware 
stores, 1 harness shop, 1 drug store, 3 blacksmith 
shops, 2 shoe shops, 1 millinery store, 2 hotels, 1 
grist mill, 1 saw mill, 1 cigar factory, 3 churches, 
1 graded public school, 4 saloons, 1 tailor shop, 1 
livery stable, 1 furniture store, and 1 machine 
shop. 

Marion was for years known as '' Perry's Mills." 
Its growth has been rapid since the building of the 
railroad. 

Town officers for 1889: Chairman — H. Nohr: 



136 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Supervisors — Charles Potzen, John Frichs ; Treas- 
urer — W. M. Hollen; Clerk — A. Derringer; As- 
sessor — W. H. McKay; Justices of the Peace — 
A. Derringer, E. B. Russey. 



CHAPTER XXI. 

Tow:n^ of St. Lawrence —First Settlement in 1852— Or- 
ganized IN 1855 — Its Part in the "County Seat War" 
— A Correspondent's Account of the Gueat Indian 
Scare of 1862. 

The Town of St. Lawrence comprises Township 
23 north, Range 12 east. It is bounded on the 
north by the Town of Helvetia, on the east by 
Little Wolf, on the south by Waupaca, and on the 
west by Scandinavia. 

The first settlement was made in 1852, by Erick 
Herman sen, G. Hermansen, and M. A. Oleson. 
In 1854 C. S. Ogden, S. Waite, H. Collier, and 
others, moved in. 

The first birth was a child of Erick Hermansen, 
in 1854. 

The first marriage was D. C. Barker and Emma 
Boyden, in 1857. The ceremony was performed 
by S. M. Collier, Justice of the Peace. 

The first school was taught in Ogdensburg, b3^ 
Mrs. Sarah Merry, in 1855. The first school house 
was built in 1855. 

The first churches built were a Baptist and a 
Methodist, both in 1866. The first sermon was 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 137 

preached in 1854, by Rev, E. W. Green, at the resi- 
dence of Judge Ogden. 

The first saw mill was built in 1854, by Judge 
Ogden. It was burned in 1859. 

The first grist mill was built by Judge Ogden, in 
1859. It was burned before it was finished, 
although it made some flour. 

The first postoffice was established in 1856, at 
Ogdensburg, with N. Livermore for postmaster. 
The mail was carried at first from Waupaca, by C. 
S. Ogden. O. E. Druetzer carried it a few weeks. 

The first survey was that of the Government, in 
1851, by J. Evans. In 1854, G. W. Taggart sur- 
^e^'cd the plat of the Village of Ogdensburg. 

The town w^as organized in 1855. The first 
town meeting was held at the store of C, S. Ogden, 
April, 1855. The following officers were elected : 
Chairman — O. E. Druetzer; Clerk — C. S. Ogden; 
Treasurer— S. M. Waite; Justices of the Peace — 
H. Collier, C. S. Ogden. 

The first law suit was held before H. Collier, in 
1855. The parties were C. S. Ogden vs. O. E. 
Druetzer. 

Judge Ogden started the first store in 1854. 

The first apple trees were planted by Judge 
Ogden and Charles Hoeffler in 1854. The first 
fruit was grown by S. M- Collier in 1860. 

The following sketch was kindly furnished us by 
an old settler of the town, one of the leading citi- 
zens : 



138 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

'' The first election held in town (it then belonged 
to Scandinavia) was in Ogden's store at Ogdens- 
bnrg, in the Fall of 1854. More than forty votes 
were polled . Charley Hoeffler was clerk of election . 
Most of the voters were Norwegians who could 
not talk English. As they gave their names, 
Charley would write them as they were pro- 
nounced. The clerk being a German, you can 
imagine how the names read. No one could tell 
whether such persons lived in town or not. 

''The County seat question was before the 
house, acid we voted strong for the 'No.' We 
favored Weyauwega, and voted for her candidates. 
The representatives of Waupaca, who attended 
the election, were offended, raised a row, and were 
expelled from the room. 

"The next year the people of Weyauwega 
thought they were strong enough without our 
help, so we voted for Waupaca. We turned over 
about every year, and whichever side we sup- 
ported usually won. We forced both places to re- 
spect us. 

" The first County convention at which St. Law- 
rence was represented was held at the Chandler 
school house. Robert Meiklejohn and Charles 
Hoeffler represented all of the northern portion of 
the County. They held leading trumps, and con- 
trolled the nomination.* Consequently, O. E. 

*The reader must not imagine that our correspondent is a card 
pla3^er. We are credibly informed that he does not know a king from 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, 139 

Druetzer was nominated for Register of Deeds, and 
R. K. Meiklejohn for Sheriff, which nominations 
were not satisfactory^ to the voters of the County, 
and not sustained by them. 

'^Ogdensburg was started with the expectation 
of getting the County seat there. So long as the 
fight between Waupaca and Wej^auwegaw^as kept 
up, we felt hopeful. We were compelled to help 
each place alternately, to keep them by the ears, 
each of those towns promising to go for us if it 
failed to get the prize for itself. Finally, Weyau- 
wega failed, and gave up the fight. 

"During the County seat fight. New London ap- 
peared upon the battle-field. She w^orked under 
the leadership of Reeder Smith, in building a plank 
road through the center of the Count^^ Smith se- 
lected James Meiklejohn and C. S. Ogden for his 
* bowsers,' and they worked with great zeal. 
Meiklejohn invested about $1,000 in that plank 
road. It proved too heavy a load, and w^as 
abandoned. It helped to settle the central part of 
the County more than anything else. 

"After the County seat question w^as settled, and 
the plank road was given up, and during the first 
of the war, the Rebels, through their agents, near- 
ly depopulated this part of the County. The Indi- 
ans came in from the Northwest, about 300,000 
of them, well armed, and equipped with all the ac- 

a jack, and can not give the definition of "trump" without consult- 
ing a dictionary ! J. W. 



140 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

coutrements of war. They camped on an island in 
a large cedar swamp near Ogdensbnrg, under the 
command of General Slasher, a brevet-brigadier 
under Jefferson Davis. The news spread rapidly. 
The citizens turned out en masse. The women and 
children took possession of the old red mill. The 
men, with muskets and rifles, scouted the neigh- 
borhood. While out on a reconnoitring expedi- 
tion, General Slasher fell in with three brave 
scouts, whOy with Spartan heroism, surrounded 
and captured him (the General being unarmed!) 
The brave scouts marched the General into town^ 
receiving the congratulations of their families and 
friends. They placed the General in a chamber 
of the HoefBer House, barricaded the door, and 
set a strong guard, with swords, pistols, and a 
bottle of whisky. Then they adjourned until the 
next morning. 

"When they met in the morning to dispose of 
the prisoner, some were in favor of hanging him, 
as a spy ; some thought he should be shot, as a 
soldier; others, that he should be held as a pris- 
oner of war. Before they had finished their busi- 
ness, a scout came in and informed them that the 
guard had fallen asleep, and that the prisoner had 
taken the road forW^aupaca at about a 2:40 gait.* 

"After his visit to Waupaca, the General tired of 



*It mttst not be inferred that our correspondent is a sporting char- 
acter who understands the slang phrases of the turf! Some jockey 
has probably been posting him a little ! J, W. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 141 

military service, and settled in Lanark, Portage 
Cotinty, where he still resides. 

"After the Escape of General Slasher, the alarm 
spread all over the State. Those who were able, 
left the Cotinty. Waupaca stationed armed men 
around the village to keep out the Indians. 
Ogdensburg sent out a scouting party. It found 
one Indian family, consisting of one old man, one 
woman, and three children, all badly frightened, 
who said there were no more Indians in the neigh- 
borhood. This, however, did not deceive the brave 
scouts, who were sure that there was a large In- 
dian army in the vicinity. Reports to that effect 
reached Waupaca and Rural, which places in turn 
sent out scouts. These last reported that, about 
a mile an a half from Ogdensburg, they found four 
Indian families, who were so badly frightened that 
they dared not venture out of their wigwams, for 
fear of being shot. The people who had left the 
country soon returned. 

" St. Lawrence formerly had the best conducted 
courts in the County. That was when S. M. Col- 
lier was Justice, D. A. Jones, Constable, and 
Joshua Goodale and C. S. Ogden, attorneys. Any 
case that they could not handle was not worth 
attention. The beauty of the thing was, they did 
not allow any outsiders to win a case ! " 

We would like to give the name of the writer of 
the foregoing, but have promised not to do so. 
We will say, however, that the Judge is well 



142 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. . 

known, is a prominent man in otir County, and 
must have been well posted in the matters of 
which he writes. 

Other towms in the County were ''scared," as 
w^ell as Ogdensburg and Waupaca. We were at 
New London one night during the panic. The 
news came there that "rebel emissaries " had stir- 
red up the different Indian tribes, who had 
elevated the hatchet, and were within a few hours 
march of the doomed burg, thirsting for the blood 
of innocent women and defenceless children. All 
was bustle and confusion. During the night, 
trusty scouts were sent out. One of them returned 
towards morning with the startling intelligence 
that he had discovered an encampment of painted 
warriors, consisting of a few old men, women, 
children, dogs, and ponies — the two latter being 
decidedly in the majority. 

But New London was spared. No chickens were 
startled on their roosts by the shrill v^hoops of 
the savage foe, and no ''red nigger" amused him- 
self by pulling a white man's scalp on that event- 
ful night. Thus passed the great "Indian Scare," 
and the historian has performed his task in duly 
recording the important event. 

VILLAGE OF OGDENSBURG. 

The Village of Ogdensburg, in Section 22, was 
platted in 1854, by Judge Ogden. It contains 
several stores, a grist mill, a hotel, and the variety 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 143 

of shops usually found in the smaller villages. The 
Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul railroad passes 
through the place. 

Town officers for 1889 : Chairman— K. B. Knut- 
sen; Supervisors — John Moore, Samuel Petersen; 
Treasurer— W. A. Mallory; Clerk — E. E. Russell; 
Assessor — William Pray; Justices of the Peace — 
Charles Nichols, P. H. Peterson, Edward Lyons ; 
Constables — O. C. Hermansen, H. J. Pitcher, 
Charles Eastman. 



CHAPTER XXII. 

Town of Larrabee — First Settlement by Norman Clin- 
ton, IN March, 1855 — The City of Clintonville — Xor- 
MAN C. Clinton — CiiET. Bennett. 

The Town of Larrabee comprises Township 25 
north, of Range 14 east. It is bounded on the 
north by Shawano County, on the east by the 
Town of Matteson, on the south by Bear Creek, 
and on the west by Dupont. 

The first settlement was made by Norman Clint- 
on, on Section 23, in March, 1855. 

The first to^^n meeting was held at the house of 
U. P. Clinton, April 2, 1861. 

The first town officers were: Chairman — U. P. 
Clinton; Supervisors — H. P. Truesdale, G. Smith; 
Clerk — L. W. Clinton; Treasurer— E.W.Bennett ; 
Justices of the Peace— John Sharp, J. Bird, J. Doty, 
D. Melton; Assessors — N. Clinton, L. W. Clinton, 
D. Melton. 



144 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The first law suit was in 1862, before E. W. Ben- 
nett, Justice of the Peace. 

The first postoffice was established in the Spring 
of 1858. It was Clintonville, with U. P. Clinton 
for postmaster. The mail was carried once a week 
from Menasha to Shawano, through Clintonville, 
Edward Decker was carrier. 

The first school was taught in Clintonville by 
Aliss Jennie Marsh, now Mrs. Packard, 

The first school house was built of logs, in 1857, 

The first church (Catholic) was built in 1875. 

The first sermon was preached in June, 1857, by 
Rev. Alfred Lathrop, at the funeral of Mrs. U. P. 
Clinton. 

The first child born was George Victor Bennett, 
in 1857. 

The first death was that of Mrs. U. P. Clinton, 
in June, 1857. 

The first marriage was Martin Lyon and Ann 
Brix, in 1858. The ceremony was performed by 
U. P. Clinton, Justice of the Peace. 

The first saw mill was built by Norman Clinton 
and U. P. Clinton, in 1857. It burned in August, 
1861, but was rebuilt in 1867 by U. P. Clinton 
and Giles Doty. It is run by water power, on the 
Pigeon River. 

The first grist mill was built in 1872, by U. P. 
Clinton and W. H. Stacy, at Clintonville. 

The first store was started by U. P. Clinton, in 
1858. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 145 

The first apple trees were planted by E. W. Ben- 
nett in the Spring of 1858, but the first fruit was 
grown by U. P. Clinton. 

Charles Matteson built the first frame house and 
barn. July 7, 1855, he broke the first land, plant- 
ing it to potatoes. 

John Sharpe polled the first vote. 

Town ofiicers for 1889: Chairman — Henry 
Steinback; Supervisors — W. L. Harris, Gustave 
Roloff; Treasurer — August Wiechow ; Clerk — F. 
G. Schwenkie; Assessor — Anton Fisher; Justices 
of the Peace— Frederick Klemp, L. M. Vanorman. 

CITY OF CLINTONYII.LE. 

Clinton ville was organized as a village in 1879. 
Its first ofiicers were: President— U. P. Clinton; 
Trustees— Thomas Whitewell, H. Mellike, A.Buch- 
oltz, N. B. Carter, H. Buckbee, E. Brix, G. W. 
Sutherland; Clerk— T. L. Cannon; Treasurer— 
CM. Hughanen; Marshal— D. A. McNeal; Con- 
stable—George Ratclifif; PoHce Justice— Alexander 
Stewart; Justice of the Peace— G. W. Jones. 

The city was organized in 1887. The first city 
officers were: Mayor — John Finney; Clerk — E. 
L. Der Motte; Treasurer— T. F. Folkman; Attor- 
ney— F. M. Guernsey; Marshal— C. M. Fisher; 
Chief of Fire Department— W. H. Stacy; Justices 
of the Peace— D. Noble, C. T. Rogers; Assessor— 
G. W. Sutherland; Aldermen — G. W. Jones, O. G. 
Augustine, J. A. Hickock, B. Schemmer, E. M. 



146 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Jones, A. Stewart, F. A. Sedgwick, L. Rohrer; Su- 
pervisors — W. H. Cook, M. Smith, Frank Qninn, 
F. M. Guernsey. 

A SURPRISE. 

In the Fall of 1881 the writer was in the little 
backwoods village of Clintonville. It was then a 
small, unpretentious burgh, giving no indications 
of much future smartness. In the Spring of 1890, 
he paid a second visit, and met with a surprise. In 
nine years it had become a pleasant city, with a 
population of nearly 2,000. It is full of live, ener- 
getic business men, ^lo will make it a successful 
rival of its sister towns, if money and brains can 
doit. 

Clintonville has 16 stores, 2 furniture shops, 6 
millinery shops, 2 machine shops, 2 jewelers, 3 
meat markets, 4 hotels, 3 livery barns, 2 grist 
mills, 2 saw mills, 5 blacksmith shops, 2 wagon 
shops, 3 newspapers (1 German), 4 lawyers, 4 doc- 
tors, 8 churches, 1 high school, 1 brick yard, 4 shoe 
shops, 1 cigar factory, 2 barber shops, 2 restau- 
rants, and 10 saloons. 

The first house built in the city, a log cabin, was 
by the Clintons, in 1855. Some of its timbers are 
now under the sidewalk in front of the Tribune 
office. 

U. P. Clinton kept the first hotel, in 1857. 

The first paid preacher was Elder Peet, a Con- 
gregationalist, who came once a month from New 
London. Norman and U. P. Clinton paid his 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 147 

salary with the first lumber sawed in their mill, 
and he donated it to the Congregational church at 
New London. 

The first Sunday school (Congregational) was 
organized in the Spring of 1858, with Oscar Bow- 
man for Superintendent. Mrs. U. P. Clinton tells 
us that it is still prospering. 

Clintonville is at the junction of two lines of the 
Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad. 

The city officers for 1890 were : Mayor— F. M. 
Guernsey; Clerk— L. H. Kuester; Treasurer —J. 
Bentz; Attorney — B. M. Goldberg; Marshal— W. 
C. Plopper; Chief of Fire Department — J. F. Meis- 
ner; Justices of the Peace— D. Noble, C. F. Schroe- 
der; Assessor — E. M. Jones; Aldermen — O. G. 
Augustine, J. Beasoncon, George Larson, M. 
Weatherwax, J. Raphingst, M. Alft, C. C. Spear- 
braker, John Olmstedt; Supervisors — R. Metzner, 
B. Schemmer, N. Etten, F. Quinn. 

We do not believe that we can conclude our 
sketch of Clintonville more acceptably than by 
copying two chapters from that spicy sheet. The 
Dual-City Tribune, by Frank H. Brady, who has 
laid us under many obligations for kind attentions 
paid during our recent visit to his cit3^ Mr. Brady 
is a grandson of Mr. Clinton, a sketch of whose 
life is here given : 

NORMAN C. CLINTON. 

The first settlement made at Clintonville was in the middle of 
March, 1855, by Norman and Lydia Clinton, of Menasha. 



148 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 



Norman C. Clinton was born in Ferrisburg, Vt., December 29, 
1796. He was of Yankee origin, and sprung from the great family 
of Clintons, who are scattered all over the Eastern, and many of 
the Western states. He was more religiously inclined than many 
Clintonville residents of today, and from boyhood till death was 
a member of the Baptist church. 

. His religion was not of the funeral type, however. On the con- 
trary, he was of a very jovial disposition, and enjoyed a joke or 
ludicrous situation immensely. Plis honesty was unquestioned. 




NORMAN C. CLINTON. 



For many years he was a great sufferer from the disease known 
as 'gravel.' He took great quantities of medicine, and had a terri- 
ble operation performed upon himself by the famous Milwaukee 
surgeon, Wolcott; but his case was a hopeless one, and September 
22, 1868, he passed away, leaving an enviable record. 

Lydia Clinton was also born in Ferrisburg, Yt, in 1800, being of 
Quaker parentage. She was a woman of muscular form; and 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 



149 



possessed of great endurance. Labor was a pleasure to her. She 
was greatly devoted to her husband and family. During the latter 
years of her life she was injured somewhat in a runaway accident, 
and that, together with the effects of years of very active life, told 
heavily upon her, and June 7, 1875, she breathed her last. Many 
of the early settlers will recognize her portrait printed herewith, 
and will call to memory acts of kindness performed by this Christ- 
ian woman in days when a friendly act was appreciated. 




LYDIA CLINTON. 

This worthy couple raised to maturity four children, three boys 
and a girl — Urial, Luman, Boardman, and Amanda. 

They came West and finally located at Menasha, where they re- 
sided for several years. Mr. Clinton was a carpenter by trade, 
and engaged somewhat in saw-milling. 

In 1855 Urial Clinton visited a lumber camp on the Embarrass 
River, and noticed in passing this point the chance for a water 
power, and also the magnificent bodies of timber, excellent soil. 



150 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

springs of water, etc., and upOn his return to Menasha imparted 
his discoveries to his father. The land at that time belonged to 
the Government, and was easy to obtain, and the description so 
favorably struck the elder Clinton, who was desirous of acquiring 
more landed possessions and engaging in lumbering, that he and 
his youngest son, Boardman, made a pilgrimage to ' The Pigeon, 
as this locality was at that time designated. After a thorough 
cruise along the river, the Clintons were captivated, and returned 
home and consulted with the elder son, Urial, as to the feasibility 
of a removal here ; but no definite conclusion was arrived at. 
However, The Pigeon, with its wealth of pine, w^as in the mind of 
the old gentleman by day, and filled his dreams with promises by 
night. During the absence of Urial, the father loaded a sleigh 
with a little lumber, household goods and provisions, and, in the 
vernacular of Young America, 'skipped,' accompanied by his 
faithful wife and a hired man, the latter to drive the team back to 
Menasha. The trip through the woods was made without ac- 
cident, and one Friday afternoon in the middle of March the party 
arrived at its destination. There being no habitation here, they 
M^ent on to Matthew "Matteson's, between the Pigeon and Em- 
barrass rivers, and stayed there until Monday, when they returned 
to the site of Clintonville, and constructed a house — such a house 
as ye Clintonvillians who barely manage to exist in substantial 
buildings with double doors and windows, warmed with coal fires, 
will shiver to think of. This first residence was made of very 
little lumber and a great deal of hemlock brush, and traditions 
vary as to whether it contained a window or not. The door was a 
blanket. It was located near the xllexander Bucholtz residence. 
The spring that bubbles up in the rear of the lot wiiece Madel's 
saloon now flourishes furnished to the first settlers their strongest 
beverage. Here they set up their household gods and were 
happy. The towering pines almost turned day into night ; the 
deer dashed by the cabin unmolested, and the wolves woke the 
echoes with their mournful music. An occasional Indian, riding 
over the trail, stopped his pony and grunted as he surveyed these 
bold intruders who, although nearly three score years of age, were 
trying to crowd the wild man out and build a home upon his do- 
mains. Later, their son Urial learned of the hegira of his parents, 
and before the sleighing disappeared he hastened to their relief 
with a couple of loads of lumber and provisions. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 151 

Xo lumbering had yet been done on the Pigeon Ptiver. The 
country was a virgin wilderness, undisturbed by the hand of man, 
and the early settlers tell us that it was a very pretty locality. 
The river obtained its name from the fact of its timbered banks 
being the roosting place for myriads of pigeons. 

The first land entered was by land warrant, April 15, 1856. The 
warrant was obtained from the Government by Rhoda Petree, the 
widow of one Joshua Whitehurst, who served as a private in Cap- 
tain Harrison's company of Virginia militia in the war of 1812. 
The land was the i\e}{ of the sw)^ of Section 23, Township 25 
north. Range 14 east. Norman Clinton and sons soon acquired 
title to twenty-nine forties of land lying near here. 

Norman Clinton, soon after settlement, built a commodious log 
house, and by force of circumstances was soon a full fledged land- 
lord, and it is safe to say that no hotel in Clintonville was ever 
better patronized or the cause of so little complaint as this. Stop- 
ping places in those days were like oases in the desert. Some 
times the caravansary's supply of provisions gave out, and as the 
nearest store was at New London, and the nearest mill at Weyau- 
wega, or Hortonville, the landlord and landlady had to resort to^ 
curious shifts. On one occasion, after feeding a large crew of ex- 
plorers and lumbermen, they discovered that all the flour and meal 
was gone, and still another party were arrived and clamoring for 
food. Here was a predicament, surely ; but the host was equal to 
the occasion. An old coffee mill was hunted up, and corn enough 
ground for Johnnie cake to appease the appetites of the hungry 
guests. 

Mr. Clinton was a great bee hunter. After discovering many 
bee trees along the banks of the little stream that empties into the 
Pigeon within the present imits of the city, he called it 'Honey 
Creek,' by which name it has since been known. 

CHET. BENNETT. 

Chet. Bennett is no doubt one of the most cele- 
brated pioneers of Wisconsin. This sketch of his 
life is from The Dual-City Tribune: 

Foremost among those who laid the foundation for the settlement 
of Clintonville is Chet. Bennett. He was born in a log cabin in 
Rushford, Alleghaney County, New York, in March, 1823. He 



152 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

married Eleanor Knowlton, and came West to New London in 
1854. He stopped there but a short time, and in 1855 located per- 
manently at Clintonville. Mr. and Mrs. Bennett had ten children, 
eight of whom are now living. George Victor Bennett, the eldest, 
was the first white child l)Orn at Clintonville. 

Bennett is a very eccentric individual, being careless in the ex- 
treme as to his personal appearance, and very short and gruff in 
his address, putting the rough side out ; but his heart is large, and 
his generosity has kept him poor, when most men with his oppor- 
tunities would have been millionaires. He is a man of marked 
ability. For instance, upon his arrival in this country he knew 
nothing of surveying or locating lands ; but in an incredible short 
time he was an undisputed authority on woodcraft, and his services 
were sought by the wealthy dealers m pine lands, the lumbermen, 
and the settlers who were looking for homesteads. By tiresome 
tramps of weeks duration he made himself familiar with the whole 
region between here and the great lakes, traveling alone to Lake 
Superior twenty years ago. 

During the intervals between his trips into the woods, he worked 
at clearing a farm just outside the city limits, where he now lives. 
He has served as Justice of the Peace, Chairman of the Town 
Board of Supervisors, and was Town Treasurer eight successive 
years. 

When the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad reached 
New London, it was found necessary to secure the services of some 
one familiar with the northern country, one who had a knowledge 
of surveying, and, withal, possessed good judgment. The next 
place the road was to strike was Clintonville, and one day a car- 
riage load of railroad officials drove into town. They looked the 
town over, (it didn't take them long, either), and made inquiries 
regarding the country between here and Marion. The residents 
referred them continually to Bennett, until their curiosity was 
aroused, and the redoubtable Chet. was sent for. diet, appeared 
along in the afternoon, attired in a very primitive costume, and 
wanted to know what was up. The railroad men were at first in- 
clined to be incredulous as to his reported knowledge of the 
country, and were more than ever puzzled when he told them that 
he "didn't know much that would benefit them." However, after 
a conversation of several hours, and a ride the next day as far as 
their carriage could take them, they discovered that in Bennett 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 153 

they had a prize, and engaged his services forthwith. For seven 
years he worked for the raih'oad company. He had to lay out a 
route that touched all the large hotlies of pine, but which had to 
conform to the lay of the country so that the cost of building 
\vould not be too expensive. This great piece of work ht^ did to 
the satisfaction of his employers. Chet. made a map of the country 
where he thought the road could be built, and from time to time 
went to Milwaukee and laid his diagrams before the officials. 
These diagrams and maps were furnished the railroad corps of 
civil engineers, who were expected to follow them. There were 
times, however, when the engineers thought that they would do a 
little business on their own hook; but they would innnediately 
find themselves in a box, with a hill a hundred feet high to tunnel 
through, or an impossible grade to overcome. It is, in fact, a mat- 
ter of record that the route laid out by Bennett in the first place 
has been followed by the road without deviating in any place more 
than eighty rods. A remarkable piece of work, surely. 

A majority of the lakes north of here were named by him, and 
the entire country is as familiar to him as his own farmyard. It is 
his boast that he can sit in a coach and ride from here to Lake 
Gogebic and designate every section line crossed by the cars. In 
an early day he located a great majority of the homesteaders, 
placing the first settler in Dupont, Grant, and Pella. 

In 1863 Bennett enlisted and served nearly two years with the 
Third ^Yisconsin Infantry. 

Many interesting anecdotes are related of him. He was the first 
Justice of the Peace in the Town of Larrabee, and during his term 
of office did presumably what no other Justice ever did — divorce 
man and wife. It happened in this way : Mr. Pullis and wife 
were stopping at a summer resort (a deserted lumber camp) in the 
Town of Matteson, and during their sojourn got by the ears and 
agreed to separate. The husband, who, it seems, was not the 
brightest of individuals, presented himself before Squire Bennett, 
told his tale of domestic infelicity, and demanded a divorce. Ben- 
nett informed him that he thought divorce proceedings could 
hardly be instituted in his court ; but the fellow was obdurate, and 
insisted that the Justice could divorce in "York State," and what 
would be legal in the great State of Xew Y'ork must be legal in 
Wisconsin. After a long argument, Bennett finally went to the 
camp, and found that the woman was as determined upon a di- 



154 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

vorce as was her lord ; whereupon he wrote a document approach- 
ing in character a quit-claim deed, and presented it to the pair and 
made his escape. Several years later he was in the vicinity of 
Omro, where the divorced woman's parents lived, and found that 
she and her husband had never lived together after the Clinton- 
ville separation. Great is the majesty of the law ! 

On one occasion Chet. assumed the role of a detective with 
marked ability. To begin at the beginning, it is necessary to state 
that the Clintons built a dam on the site of the present one, and 
also a little muley saw mill. One night in 1857 the little mill was 
burned. It was a great blow to the owners and to the few settlers 
in this part of the country, who relied upon it to furnish them 
with lumber to improve their none too comfortable dwellings. 
The origin of the lire was a great mystery, but finally suspicion 
was attached to Widow Johnson, who lived several miles down 
the New London road, and whose sons had been arrested by the 
Clintons and jailed for stealing shingles. However, proof had 
first to be obtained, and that was no easy matter. Finally, U. P. 
Clinton and Bennett concocted a scheme worthy of more experi- 
enced heads in detective work, also admitting into the plot Wel- 
come Hyde, of Bear Creek, wiio now resides at Appleton. The 
first act in this backwoods drama was a quarrel between Bennett 
and Clinton, the particulars of which soon spread among the 
handful of people that composed the population of eastern Wau- 
paca County at that time. Clinton accused Chet. of firing his 
mill, and of course the accused was highly indignant. He traveled 
around among his neighbors, and sang a very bitter song against 
Clinton. Then Clinton swore out a warrant before Squire Terrill, 
of Bear Creek, and placed it in the haiuls of Constable Frank 
Granger, for the arrest of Bennett upon a charge of firing the 
mill. Granger deemed Bennett a trifle desperate, and took along 
a posse of men to make sure of his arrest. They finally found the 
object of their search at the Widow Johnson's cabin. After con- 
siderable parleying he went along. At the examination, Bennett 
proved an alibi, and was discharged. In a few days he visited the 
widow again, and in her presence swore that he would be re- 
venged upon Clinton. The widow sympathized with him, and ar- 
ranged a plan to assist him in burning Clinton's barn, and at last 
acknowledged that she and a man by the name of Brackett had 
poured oil upon Clinton's mill and burned it. The gentle widow 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 155 

was placed under surveilance, but Brackett had left the country. 
It was finally ascertained that he had gone to La Crosse, and 
thither posted Chet. upon the fellow's trail. Upon arriving at La 
Crosse Bennett represented himself as a trapper, La Crosse at that 
time being a rendezvous for many of this class of men. He formed 
the acquaintance of a fur dealer, and intimated that he would like 
to go into partnership with some likely trai)per, if the trader knew 
of any such. The trader said that he did know of a man who 
would fill the bill, but he at present was on a trip. His name was 
Brackett. Chet. waited quietly for his prospective partner, and in 
a few days saw him land from a boat and go to the trader's with a 
bundle of pelts. The Clintonville detective followed his man, and 
was within a few feet of him before he was recognized, and hand- 
cuffed him without delay. Bennett had been deputized as an of- 
ficer before leaving Waupaca County, but would have asked as- 
sistance of the local officers had he not learned that the Sheriff 
was a relative of Brackett. 

Without any delay he secreted his prisioner until he could leave 
town on a train in the evening. Upon the arrival of the train, he 
handcuffed himself and the prisioner together, and started for 
Oshkosh. The officer and prisoner were roughly dressed, and, 
being chained together, attracted the attention of everyone on the 
train, many supposing them both to be criminals who had escaped 
from an officer. A great many questions were asked them, to 
which no replies were made.- At last a gentleman approached 
them and relieved himself by remarking : "I am fully convinced 
that one of you fellows is an officer, and the other a prisoner, but 
I'll be blamed if I can determine which is which." Bennett suc- 
ceeded in placing his prisoner safely behind the bars, but he broke 
jail twice, and disappeared. The Widow Johnson was sent up for 
ten years, and died in prison. 

Although Mr. Bennett is a man of undisputed pluck, he never 
engaged in a fight with a man in his life, and in all his travels in a 
wilderness inhabited by wild beasts and wilder men, he never car- 
ried a more offensive weapon than a common jack-knife. 

As a long distance traveler he is without an equal. He has easily 
made sixty miles a day with a fifty-pound pack, crawling through 
windfalls and wading streams. A complete history of his life 
would be valuable in many respects, and would show that our 
unassuming friend has done more for his fellows, directly and in- 



156 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

directly, than many heroes and men of much renown. Long may 
he continue among the people to whom he never failed to offer a 
helping hand. 

CHAPTER XXIII. 

Town of We yauwega — Settled in 1848 — Organized in 
1852 — Gills Landing Plank Road — An Indian Murder 
— A Sucker Story — Village of Weyauwega. 

The Town of Weyauwega comprises the north 
half of Township 21 north, Range 13 east, and 
Sections 19, 20, 21, 22, and 23, and the north half 
of Sections 29 and 30, of the same township. It is 
bounded on the north by the Town of Royalton, 
on the east by Caledonia and Fremont, on the 
south by Fremont, and on the west by Lind. 

The first settlement was made by Henry Turtel- 
lott, Amos Dodge, and M. Lewis, in 1848. 

In 1849, ^^ alter Weed and Benjamin Birdsell 
built a saw mill on the site of Steenbergh's old 
mill. At that time they sold lumber, at least half 
clear, for $5 per M. Shingles, shaved by hand, 
sold for $1.25 to $1.50 per M. 

The first child born was Mary Miller, now wife 
of Parian Saunders. 

The first marriage was Matthew Lincoln and 
Olive Smith, in 1850. The ceremony was per- 
formed by Albion Brandy, Justice of the Peace. 

The first death was a child of H. Tourtellott, in 
1849. 

The first school was taught by Miss Chandler, 
in a shanty where the village now is, in 1850. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 157 

The first church (Presbyterian) was built in the 
village in 1854. 

The first sermon was preached in 1851, by Elder 
Miller, a Methodist. 

The first saw mill was built at Evanswood, in 
1848-49, by Townsend, Powell & Lincoln. It has 
since burned. 

The first grist mill was built at Weyauwega, by 
Weed, Birdsell & Co., in 1855. 

The first postoffice was established at Weyau- 
wega, in 1850, with Benjamin Birdsell as post- 
master. 

The first mail route was fi-om Green Bay to 
Plover, with O. E. Dreutzer fi^r carrier. 

The first survey was made in 1849, by W. B. 
Mumbrue. 

The town was organized March 5, 1852. The 
first town meeting was held at R. Baxter's hotel, 
April 6, 1852. The first town officers, elected at 
that meeting, were : Chairman — C. L. Gumaer; 
Supervisors — Melzor Parker, Carr Barker; Clerk 
— A. W. Potter; Treasurer — Warren Jenney ; 
School Superintendent — Brit Burt; Justices of the 
Peace — L. L. Post, George D. Tarbell, Melzor 
Parker, Ira Sumner; Constables — J. B. Hunt, H. 
Tourtellott, J. Bergstressor ; Sealers of Weights 
and Measures — Robert Baxter, Joseph Post; As- 
sessor — Henry Doty; Fence Viewers — Joseph Jen- 
ney, W. W. Barnes. The inspectors of election 
were Elijah W. Wrightman, A. W. Potter, and 



158 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Charley Hare. Seventy votes were cast. Fifty 
dollars school tax was raised. John Boyd was 
chosen Overseer of Highways. 

The first law suit v^as before George Tarbell, 
Justice of the Peace, who tired of the office, and 
immediately resigned in disgust. 

In the Spring of 1850, C. L. Gumaer started the 
first store. James Devens was his clerk. 

L. Iv. Post started the first general store, in the 
Fall of 1851. He got in fifty barrels of salt at one 
time, and it was quite a question if he would ever 
dispose of such a large lot. But he soon sold out 
at $5 to $6 per barrel. 

The first saloon was started by George Thier- 
man, in 1852. 

In 1850 Robert Baxter planted the first apple 
tree, and in 1852 Allen Hubbard raised the first 
fruit. 

In 1850, Robert Baxter built the first hotel, now 
the American House. 

, Thomas Smith put up the first blacksmith shop, 
in 1850. 

In 1851, A. Tibbets built theWeyauwega House. 
He kept a bar, and the next winter had much 
trouble to keep his whisky from freezing. 

The present Borngesser House was opened in 
the Fall of 1851, by Robert Baxter and Charles 
Hare. 

In 1855 the Baptist church was built. The meet- 
ing to organize was held September 9, 1854. Elder 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 159 

Prink was Moderator, and Duncan Baxter, Clerk. 
B. P. Farley was the first Deacon. The Trustees 
were A. D. Farmer and George Farley. 

GILLS LANDING PLANK ROAD. 

In the Summer of 1853, a plank road was built 
across the bottom land*, from Weyauwega to Gills 
Landing, on the Wolf River. It was built by sub- 
scription. John Gill paid $100, Weed & Birdsell 
about $200, and the balance of the cost was made 
up by settlers. Before this plank road was built, 
there had been, at Gills Landing, a small building 
at which steamboats landed, and from which 
passengers and freight were taken in small boats 
to Wilcox's place, on the Waupaca River, which 
could be reached by teams. Soon after the plank 
road was built, the passengers and freight that 
had reached Plover and Stevens Point by way of 
Berlin and Portage City commenced to seek the 
Gills Landing route. A stage was put on in 1854, 
by a man named Myers, who lived a few miles out 
of Plover, and in a few years the great bulk of the 
passenger and freight traffic to Plover, Stevens 
Point, Grand Rapids, and Wausau was carried on 
over this route. The building of the Wisconsin 
Central railroad was a death blow to Gills Land- 
ing and the plank road. 

INDIAN MURDER. 

Hon. L. L. Post once gave us an account of an 
Indian homicide which occurred near Weyauwega. 
It will bear repetition : 



160 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNfY. 

Soon after the first settlement of Weyauwega, 
some Indians belonging to the Wa-ka-nu-kin tribe 
were making sugar in the '' Coffin sugar bush," 
just above the mouth of the Waupaca River, 
about a mile and a half east of the Village of Wey- 
auwega. Two of them got to drinking whisky, 
and finally quarrelled, Avhen one stabbed and 
killed the other. The Indian law was that the 
murderer must die, unless he could buy himself off 
from the friends of the victim. 

In this case the murderer was poor, and had 
nothing to offer as a ransom. The avenger ^was 
on his track; the blood of his victim called for 
vengeance. His life was a forfeit to the violated 
laws of his tribe, unless some arrangement could 
be made ^with the relatives of the murdered In- 
dian. In this emergency he applied to Mr. Tourtel- 
lott, an Indian trader, who lived near. 

The members of the tribe took the body of the 
murdered Indian, in a canoe, to Winneconne for 
burial. The murderer was compelled to accom- 
pany them. At Winneconne a grave was dug, and 
the body deposited in it. The murderer was then 
set on the edge of the grave, with his feet hanging 
in. In case no arrangement could be made with 
the nearest friends of the deceased, he was to be 
knocked on the head, tumbled in, and buried ^th 
his victim. 

Mr. Tourtellott was on hand with a lot of 
goods, and opened negotiations. The friends of 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 161 

the dead Indian were rather hard; but, after a 
long banter, a compromise was effected, the In- 
dians receiving nearly all of Tourtellott's goods, 
^with a pony thrown in. Thus the murderer's life 
was saved, and Justice satisfied. The Indian had 
to hunt and trap a long while to pay the debt. 

Such was Indian justice! Is ours any better? 
We want time for reflection before answering that 
question. 

THOSE SUCKERS. 

The first settlers in a new country soon learn to 
dispense with the luxuries and many of the actual 
necessaries of life. The pioneers of Waupaca 
County were no more favored than other people 
in like condition. When beef was scarce they 
would content themselves with the game to be 
found in the woods. When pork could not be pro- 
cured they sought something cheaper, until the 
sucker finally became a standard article of diet, 
especially in the southern and eastern parts of this 
County. 

When the Winter ran too far into the Spring, 
and suckers appeared in no haste to leave their 
Winter quarters, their absence at times would be 
severely felt by whole communities; and when 
they did come, what rejoicing! We can give an il- 
lustration : 

The Spring of 1855 was very backward, the an- 
nual visit of the suckers being delayed about ten 
days. Everybody was anxious for their arrival. 



162 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

for everybody was sucker-hungry. At length, one 
Sunday morning, w^hile a preacher was in the 
midst of his discourse, at Weyauwega, a shout 
was heard on the street : " The suckers has come, 
the suckers has come ! " What a change came over 
that congregation ! The day and the occasion 
were forgotten; and it is asserted that even the 
minister joined in the general rush for the mill 
pond. We will not vouch for the truth of the last 
assertion, but do not think that, under all the 
circumstances, it w^ould have been much disgrace 
to the "cloth." 

The town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — 
A. V. Balch ; Supervisors— J. A. Baxter, A. Wal- 
rath; Treasurer — O. A. Rich; Clerk — Orin San- 
ders; Assessor — J. M. Jenney; Justices of the 
Peace — George Walrath, S. W. Sterling, John 
Quimby, Louis Larson; Constables — Gust. Bork, 
George Hopkins, Alden Menton. 

VILLAGE OF WEYAUWEGA. 

The Village of Weyauwega was incorporated by 
act of the Legislature in 1856. 

The first officers were: President — Louis Bos- 
tedo. Tobias Hutchinson was one of the trustees. 
Supervisors — First Ward, Louis Bostedo ; Second 
Ward, Tobias Hutchinson. 

Weyau\\^ega is pleasantly situated on the line of 
the Wisconsin Central railroad. It is surrounded 
by a good farming country, has an intelligent, 
enterprising population, and is promised a pros- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 163 

perous future. The Waupaca River furnishes good 
water power. There are 5 churches, 1 high school, 
7 dry goods stores, 4 grocery stores, 3 drug stores, 
2 jewelry stores, 3 hardware stores, 2 millinery 
stores, 2 furniture stores, 2 shoe shops, 1 harness 
shop, 1 tailor shop, 2 meat markets, 4 blacksmith 
shops, 1 wagon shop, 1 livery stable, 2 hotels, 2 
lawyers, 2 physicians, 1 newspaper and printing 
office, 1 bank, 1 saw and planing mill, 1 grist mill, 
1 basket factory, 4 saloons, 1 brewery. The pop- 
ulation is about 650. 

THE FIRST PAPER. 

The first paper. The Weyauwegian, was started 
in July, 1855, by William C. Tompkins. It was 
afterwards The Herald, then The Times, which 
was owned and edited by F. W. Sackett. In 
March, 1877, J. C. Keeney started The Chronicle, 
which is now^ successfully edited by A. L. Hutchin- 
son, present District Attome3^ 

The village has a well organized hook and lad- 
der company. 

VILLAGE OFFICERS. 

The village officers for 1890 are : President — F. 
M. Chase; Trustees — W. H. Weed, Thomas Brett, 
Charles Goodenow, John Bomgesser, L. D. Post, 
G. Scheel; Clerk — John L. Rhode; Treasurer — 
Thomas F. Wilson; Police Justice — J. F. Corbett; 
Marshal — A. W. Balsley; Supervisor — Jerome 
Crocker ; Chief of Fire Department — John Born- 
gesser. 



164 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XXIV. 

Town of Bear Creek — First Settlement by Welcome 
Hyde, in 1854 — First Officers Elected in 1856— One of 
THE Best Farming Towns. 

The Town of Bear Creek comprises Township 
24 north, Range 14 east. It is bounded on the 
north by the Town of Larrabee, on the east by 
Outagamie County, on the south by Lebanon, and 
on the west by Union. 

The first settlement was made by Welcome 
Hyde, in 1854. Ludwig Shoepke, L. E. Phillips, 
S. C. Packard, and N. H. Phillips came in 1855, 
and L. B. Williams in 1856. All were from the 
"Old Bay State," except Mr. Shoepke, who was 
born in Prussia. 

The first school house (log) was built in 1859, 
on Section 24. 

The first school was taught by Mrs. L. G. Will- 
iams, in the Summer of 1856. It was literally a 
''high school," being in the attic of L. E. Phillips' 
house, ingress and egress being effected by means 
of a ladder on the outside. 

The first birth was a child of Louis and Mary 
Shoepke, in May, 1857. 

The first death was that of the same child the 
following June. 

The first marriage was that of August Shoepke 
and Louisa Baisler, April 26, 1859, O. Bowman, 
Justice of the Peace, officiating. 

Welcome Hyde is a native of Vermont. He 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 165 

cleared the first land, and raised the first crop, on 
Section 13. His two boys were the only children 
in town for three years, and were the only pupils 
Mrs. Williams had in her *'high school." 

L. G. Williams is the oldest native inhabitant. 
He was bom June 21, 1857. 

The first church (Lutheran) was built in 1867. 

The first sermon was by Elder Peet, in 1857, at 
the house of Welcome Hyde. 

The first saw mill (steam power) was built in 
1865, by J. J. Demming. 

The first postoflice was established in 1857, with 
A. B. Phillips as postmaster. It was on the mail 
route from Menasha to Shawano. F. Fairbank 
was carrier. 

The first town meeting was held in April, 1856, 
at the house of Welcome H3^de. The following of- 
ficers were elected: Chairman — Welcome Hyde; 
Supervisors — C. Clinton, Chet. Bennett.* 

G. House kept the first store. 

Welcome Hyde planted the first apple trees, and 
raised the first apples. 

Bear Creek contains some of the most valuable 
farms in the County. 

The town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — 
Charles Shoepke; Supervisors — William Pheelkey, 
T. Lundt; Treasurer — H. Reinke; Clerk — C. L. 
Kleum; Assessor— August Russ; Justices of the 

*Larrabee then belonged to the Town of Bear Creek. J. W. 



166 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Peace — John Keifer, C. A. Schamon, Alfred Lar- 
son; Constables — J. Schroeder, William Teitiz, 
August Bowk. 



CHAPTER XXV. 

Towx OF loLA — Settled in 1853 — First Election of Of- 
ficers IN 1855 — Village on Iola — The Town of Har- 
rison Created in 1890. 

The Town of Iola consists of Township 24 north, 
Range 11 east. It is bounded on the north by the 
Town of Harrison, on the east by Helvetia, on the 
south by Scandinavia, and on the west by Portage 
County. 

The first settlement was made in 1853, by Knud 
Erickson and J. Gundersen. 

In 1854, Colonel J. W. Chandler and S. S. Chan- 
dler moved in. M. R. Baldwin came in 1855. 

The first block house was built in 1854, by S. S. 
Chandler. In 1855, M. R. Baldwin built the first 
frame house. 

The first hotel was started by J. B. Bennett, in 
1856. 

The first store was started in 1855, by C. K. 
Blandin. 

The first saw mill was built in 1854, by S. S. & 
J. W. Chandler. 

The first grist mill was started by Baldwin, 
Wipf & Shannon, in 1860. 

The first postoflSce was established in 1856, 
with C. K. Blandin as postmaster. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 167 

The first school was taught by Miss Mary Tag- 
gart, later Mrs. Caldwell, in 1855. 

The first school house was built in 1856. 

The first marriage was that of Judge Osborne 
and Miss Sarah Chandler, in 1855. 

The first death was that of Mrs. Mclntire,in the 
Spring of 1856. 

The first child born was Maria Gunderson, in 
1856. 

The first town meeting was held in April, 1855. 
The first town ofiScers were: Chairman — M. R. 
Baldwin; Supervisor — John Gunderson; Clerk — 
S. S. Chandler. 

The first sermon was preached by Rev. J. J. 
Hatch. 

The first law suit was before J. B. Bennett, Jus- 
tice of the Peace. 

The first apple trees were set out by G. Sterns 
and H. Fariey, in 1856; but S. S. Chandler raised 
the first apples. 

Portions of the town are hilly, but the soil in 
the vallej^s is good, a black loam in manj^ places, 
and ver3^ productive. There is yet considerable 
pine in this town. 

The oflftcers for 1889 were: Chairman — Jacob 
Wipf; Supervisors — Ole Solum, C. F. Solum; 
Treasurer — O. G. Fraquin; Clerk — J. C. Johnson; 
Assessor — John Olson; Justices of the Peace — S. 
Jameson, A. Weinman, G. W. Smith. 



168 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

VILLAGE OF lOLA. 

The Village of lola is located in Section 35. It 
has 5 general stores, 1 hardware store, 1 drug 
store, 1 tailor shop, 1 meat market, 1 livery stable, 
1 saw mill, 1 shingle mill, 1 grist mill, 2 black- 
smith shops, 1 wagon shop, 1 hotel, and 1 barber 
shop. 

In the Spring of 1883 the lola Messenger, a 
weekly newspaper, was started by J. M. Hatch, 
present Clerk of the Court. It was discontinued 
after two years. 

The Town of lola formerly embraced Township 
25 north. Range 11 east; but the County Board, 
at its annual meeting in November, 1890, made 
that township an independent town to be called 
Harrison. 

CHAPTER XXYI. 

Town of Helvetia — Settled in 1853 — First Town Meet- 
ing IN 1861 — Town of Wyoming Formed out of Hel- 
vetia IN 1890. 

The Town of Helvetia comprises Township 24 
north. Range 12 east. It is bounded on the north 
by the Town of Wyoming, on the east by Union, 
on the south bj^ St. Lawrence, and on the west by 
lola. 

In 1853, Andrew Paulson and Nels Jacobson 
made the first settlement. A Httle later, John 
Anderson, J. Jacobson, Peter Peterson, J. H. 
Leuthold, Andrew Larson, C. Gilbranson, Jens 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 169 

Knappen, John Sorrenson, and S. Thorson came in. 

The first death was that of Stina, wife of A. Lar- 
son, in 1858. 

The first birth was in the family of John Ander- 
son, or that of C. Gilbranson. 

The first marriage was Peter Peterson and 
Mary Peterson, by Rev. J. J. Hatch, of lola, No- 
vember 8, 1859. 

The first school house was bnilt in 1860, on Sec- 
tion 31. 

The first school meeting was held November 24, 
1859, in District No. 3. The town was then a part 
of lola. 

The first school was taught by Mrs. Bliss. 

The first postofiice was established in 1868, 
with Cyrus Churchill as postmaster. 

The first town meeting was held in 1861, at the 
school house. The first town officers, elected at 
that meeting, were: Chairman — C. Torbenson; 
Supervisors — John Sorrenson, S. Thorson; Clerk 
— John Bliss ; Treasurer — James Keating ; As- 
sessor — Hans Knudson ; Superintendent of Schools 
—J. H. Leuthold. 

In 1887, A. W. Whitcomb built a saw mill and 
opened a store at Big Falls, on the Little Wolf 
River, in Section 26, Township 25 north. Range 
11 east, (which township was a part of Helvetia 
until set off into the independent Town of Wyom- 
ing, by the County Board at the annual meeting 
in November, 1890.) 



170 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

At Granite City, in Section 13 of Wyoming, 
Lenthold & Holman have developed a rich granite 
quarry, now reached by a four-mile spur track of 
the Milwaukee, Lake Shore & Western railroad. 
There is a store at the quarry. 

J. H. Leuthold writes: "At the time Helvetia 
was organized two thirds of its territory v^as 
covered with pine, w^hich has since been cut and 
moved to Oshkosh. It helped to build up that 
city; but the inhabitants of the town had very 
little benefit of those millions of feet of good tim- 
ber. Thousands of acres of good potatoe, corn, 
and clover land yet lie idle here, while people are 
moving hundreds of miles to find homes." 

How true ! There is yet plenty of good land in 
this County, to be had cheap ; but with most peo- 
ple the best place for settlement is just a little 
farther along ! 

The oflftcers for 1889 were: Chairman — E. G. 
Dahlen; Supervisors — G. Gugarren, A. Rasmus- 
sen ; Treasurer — W. Leuthold ; Clerk — Jacob 
Schwartzenbach ; Assessor — Andrew Jensen ; Jus- 
tices of the Peace — A. W. Whitcomb, Christian 
Jacobson. 

CHAPTER XXVH. 

Town of Matteson — First Settlement in 1855, by Ros- 

WELL MATTESON, IN HONOR OF WlIOM THE ToWN WAS 

Named. 

The Town of Matteson comprises Township 25 
north, Range 15 east, being the only town in the 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 171 

County in that range. It is bounded on the north 
by Shawano. County, on the east and south by 
Outagamie County, and on the west by the Town 
of Larrabee. 

The first settlement was made in July, 1855, by 
Roswell Matteson, in whose honor the town was 
named. 

The first school house (a log shanty) was built 
in 1859. The first school was taught in the same 
year, by Emma Dodge. 

The first marriage was Gilbert Smith and Cath- 
erine Palmer, in 1860. The ceremony was per- 
formed by Elder Sharpe. 

The first birth was that of a son of Erben 
Ewers, in 1856. 

The first death was that of Sophronia Ferman, 
nine years old. She was drowned in 1861. 

The first sermon was by Elder Sharpe, a Bap- 
tist, in 1860. 

In 1856, William Parr built the first saw mill. 
It was run by water power. 

Palmer & Stacy built the first grist mill, in 
1861. 

The first store was started in 1859, by J. M. 
White. 

The first postofiice was established in 1856, with 
E. D. Matteson as postmaster. It was called Em- 
barrass. 

The town is well watered by the Wolf, the 
Pigeon, and the Embarrass rivers. 



172 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The first apple trees were set out by E. D. Mat- 
teson, in 1860, and he raised the first apples. 

The ofl^cers for 1889 were: Chairman— John 
Brown; Supervisor — Wilson Metmon; Treasurer 
— A.C. Palmer; Clerk — A. W. Wilmarth; Assessor 
— L. A. Bergess; Justices of the Peace — J. W. 
Morgan, John Wells, N. Ludwigson. 



CHAPTER XXVIII. 

A Chapter of Most Interesting Recollections by George 
W. Taggart, of Weyauwega— His Account of the Elec- 
tion OF 1851. 

During the year 18^87 there appeared in the 
Weyauwega Chronicle a series of articles entitled 
"Waupaca County History," signed "Veritas." 

The writer, George W. Taggart, of Weyauwega, 
is too well known to need further mention, having 
been an early settler, who took an active part in 
the organization of our County. He has been 
Sheriff, and has almost continuously held other 
responsible ofl&ces. He was the first postmaster 
of Lind. Mr. Taggart has the honor of being one 
of the oldest Odd Fellows in the State. 

We make a few extracts from said article, regret- 
ting our inability to find room for more : 

"At the organization of Shawano County, Feb- 
ruary 16, 1853, Township 25 north. Range 15 
east, was included within the boundaries bj^the or- 
ganic act ; but a subsequent Legislature discovered 
that the act detaching it from Waupaca County 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 173 

was a Yiolation of Section 7 of Article 13, of the 
Constitution of the State of Wisconsin, and 
promptly repealed said act, restoring that town- 
ship to Waupaca County. 

"On the first Tuesday in April, 1850, the place 
since called Mukwa was designated as the cross- 
ing of Wolf River, at the mouth of Little Wolf 
River. There was neither hotel, postoflice, nor 
human habitation within a mile of the place. 

"During the next Summer, after O. E. Druetzer 
commenced carrying the mail on the route from 
Green Bay to Plover, crossing the Wolf River at 
this point, Horace Rolph claimed a small fraction 
of the south-east corner of the school section, 
which lay on the east side of the river, built a 
house upon it, and moved there in the Fall. He 
circulated a petition for a postoffice, which was 
established late in the year, and called Mukwa. 
About the same time, Benjamin F. Phillips and 
August Grignon surveyed and platted the Village 
of Mukwa, on land adjoining the tract claimed by 
Rolph, and at once commenced figuring for the 
organization of a new County, with Mukwa for 
the County seat. 

"At the session of the Legislature in 1851 there 
was a great scramble in this part of the State for 
new Counties and County seats. Benjamin F. 
Phillips was principal owner of the new Village of 
Mukwa, and Thomas J. Townsend purchased a 
tract in Section 36, Township 18 north, Range 13 



174 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

east, and laid out a village called Sacramento. 
This tract was in the extreme south-east corner of 
the proposed new County, (Waushara), on the 
south side of Fox River, where there was only 
about one section surveyed and entered, all the 
rest of the County being unsurveyed Indian land, 
lying north of the river. 

''Theodore Conkey, who had been employed by 
the Government to survey much of the land in 
Brown County, and who had a large interest in 
the new Village of Appleton, on the Fox River, also 
had an 'ax to grind.' He was elected Senator from 
Brown County in the Fall of 1850, and Edward 
Eastman was Assemblyman from Winnebago 
County. . 

" When the Legislature met in 1851, Mr. Phillips 
and Mr. Townsend had special business at Madi- 
son. Mr. Conkey, as Senator, had great influence 
in the organization of new Counties. The result 
was that a majority of the Legislators were con- 
vinced that the interests of the people demanded 
the immediate organization of three new Counties, 
and also that it would be highly improper, if not 
impossible, to establish a County seat at anyplace 
except where the land was surveyed, and a village 
platted ; so each of the parties succeeded in getting 
County boundaries as he wished, and a County 
seat located on his own land. 

"Appleton has become a thriving city, and is yet 
the County seat; but Mukwa and Sacramento, as 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 17j5 

County seats or villages, are known no more. 

''After the passage of the law of February 17, 
1851, providing for the organization of the Town 
and County of Waupaca, describing the bound- 
aries, and fixing the time and place for holding the 
first election for Town and County oflScers, and 
their terms of office under such election, (which for 
the Town officers was one year, and for the 
County oflScers until the first day of January fol- 
lowing, and in each case until their successors 
should be elected and qualified), a report was cir- 
culated in the southern and western parts of the 
County, that a few men around Mukwa (some of 
them having lately removed from the vicinity of 
Oshkosh) were preparing to conduct the election 
so as to secure a set of Town and County officers 
in their interest, which would give them complete 
control in the affairs of the County. In conse- 
quence of this report, a consultation was had 
among the settlers in Waupaca, Lind, and Little 
River, and arrangements made to attend the elec- 
tion in suflicient numbers to frustrate such design, 
if possible, should the report prove correct. 

''Accordingly, every legal voter was urged to 
show his patriotism by giving the time necessary 
to attend the election, which would require not 
less than three days, and which actually took four 
days for every man who went from the western 
part of the County. 

"At the first consultation there was a wonderful 



1^6 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY, 

amount of zeal and interest manifested, and it ap- 
peared as though the turnout would be so general 
that nobody but women and children would be 
left in the settlements. But, during the few days 
intervening between the discussion and the time 
to start, obstacles in the way seemed to multiply 
tremendously, (some real and some imaginary), 
and when Monday morning came it seemed as 
though we should hardly muster a 'corporal's 
guard ' for the occasion. Not more than one-half 
of those we confidently expected to go were ready 
to start on the journey. 

''The names of those from the southern and 
western parts of the County, twelve in number, 
were: W. G. Cooper, William B, Hibbard, J. B. 
Hibbard, and Edwin Buel, from Waupaca Falls; 
John M. Vaughn, John W. Chandler, and Simon 
C. DoA^, who lived on the route between Waupaca 
and Weyauwega ; Tyler Caldwell, G. W. Taggart, 
and Hiram P. Sexton, from the Wallaw alia settle- 
ment; and J. Boyd and A. Y. Rudd from Little 
River. 

" These persons all met at Weyauwega, Monday 
forenoon, and started on their line of march 
through the woods, in single file, and on foot, — 
the only possible way to get through the thickets, 
windfalls, and swamps. 

"After a very tedious and wearisome tramp, we 
came, about sunset, to the lower saw mill, about 
two miles from the mouth of the Little Wolf River, 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 177 

then called Gorden's Mill, and afterwards the Phil- 
lips Mill. Here we found seven or eight lumbermen 
running the mill, with N. B. Millard as superin- 
tendent, the man \Yho for many years was wxU 
known through all the countrj^ about Wolf River 
and Lake Winnebago as 'Bone Millard.' 

*' Here v^e also unexpectedlj^ found a very efficient 
assistant to the accomplishment of our plans to 
carry the election, in the shape of a ponderous, 
\v ell-filled jug. 

''It being so late, and the pilgrims too tired to 
go any farther, we staid at the mill over night. 
When we reported to the lumbermen what w^e had 
heard of the intentions of the few voters at Muk- 
wa, they at once fell in w^ith our plans, and agreed 
to assist us to frustrate the schemes of the Muk- 
wa crew. It did not require much persuasion to 
induce Mr. Millard to close his mill for one day, 
and turn out with all hands to attend the election. 

^' Immediately after breakfast the next morning, 
vyre all, about twenty in number, started for Muk- 
w^a. We had to walk about two miles to the 
mouth of the Little Wolf, and then cross Wolf 
River. The only ferry boat was a small skiff cal- 
culated to hold tw^o persons. At first we put in 
two besides the ferryman, but, aftet two or three 
loads got safely over, we piled in another, making 
four in a boat intended for only two ; but all got 
safely over. 

" When w^e got up the river bank, and to the ho- 



178 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

tel, we found we had not been misinformed, and 
were soon convinced that ' the half had not been 
told.' We found five or six persons standing 
around a man named William N. Davis, who ap- 
peared to be the leader, preparing to open the 
polls. They had procured tickets at Oshkosh, with 
their names printed for the most important offices, 
and had left blank spaces in which to write such 
names as might be preferred for the rest of the 
offices. 

"After we got together, the first proceeding was 
to organize a caucus to make nominations for 
Town and County officers. Mr. Davis and his 
party made serious objections to such proceedings, 
for the reason that they had already selected sev- 
eral of the candidates ; but the3^ were willing that 
we should name the persons to fill out the rest of 
the ticket. This was not satisfactory to us ; and, 
having a majority of more than two to one, we 
assumed the right to dictate the whole matter, 
and make tickets to suit ourselves. 

"On their ticket, Mr. Davis was candidate for 
Chairman of Supervisors, and James Smiley for 
Register of Deeds. These we ignored entirely, but 
adopted some of the other nominations they had 
made. 

"After* completing the nominations, we pro- 
ceeded to choose Inspectors and Clerks of Election. 
For Inspectors were chosen G. W. Taggart, Chair- 
man ; John W. Chandler and Tyler Caldwell. For 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 179 

Clerks, William G. Cooper and Simon C. Dow. 

"To be fully equipped for business, we carried 
with us a ballot box and a pamphlet copy of the 
Election Laws ; but we found that Mr. Davis had 
also prepared a ballot box, and had a copy of the 
Revised Statutes of 1849. We needed the two bal- 
lot boxes, however, one for the town, and one for 
the County election. 

^' After proclamation was made, declaring the 
polls open, the first man who offered his vote was 
Hiram P. Sexton, of Lind. The vote was promptly 
challenged by one of the Mukwa party. Mr. Sex- 
ton immediately took the necessary oath, the vote 
was received, and though some of the disap- 
pointed candidates were rather cross and sour, 
there was no further trouble. 

"There was one occurrence during the forenoon 
that afforded considerable amusement to some of 
the part3\ Mr. Davis, in preparing to open the 
polls, had the Revised Statutes lying on the table. 
The pamphlet law we had carried was there, also. 
In the course of business, a legal question arose, 
and we proposed to refer to the law, but neither 
the Statutes nor the pamphlet could be found. 
One of the bystanders had seen Mr. Davis carry 
away the Statutes, with the pamphlet inside of it. 
No one supposed any wrong w^as intended, and a 
man was requested to step into the store and ask 
Mr. Davis for it. He did so, and came out with a 
reply that was neither courteous nor civil. There 



180 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

was no great excitement, but the whole Board of 
Inspectors rose to their feet, and, leaving the bal- 
lot boxes in charge of the Clerks, walked into the 
store, followed by ten or a dozen stalwart men. 
The Chairman, as spokesman, promptly informed 
Mr. Davis that it might be conducive to the safety 
of himself and his premises to produce that pam- 
phlet law. After looking the crowd over, he quietly 
went behind the counter, took the book from 
under a bate of goods, and handed it over. 

''After this, everything went smoothly till nearly 
night, when it was discovered that we had failed 
to vote for any Clerk of the Board of Supervisors, 
It was proposed to elect Mr. Smiley to that office, 
and two persons were found who had not voted 
the County ticket, and they voted for him. About 
this time. Ransom Nichols, a candidate on the"* 
Mukwa ticket, who had been ill-humored all day, 
concluded that he would like the office. He came 
forward, voted for himself, and found another of 
the disapXDointed ones who voted for him. Thus it 
remained until it was time to close the pools, when 
one of the Board discovered an object moving 
among the trees some distance away, and, request- 
ing the Board not to close till he returned, started 
out on a trip of discovery. He found it was a 
man named Armstrong, who was carrying the 
mail for O. E. Dreutzer, just coming into Mukwa, 
where he staid over night. He voted for Smiley, 
and that secured his election. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 181 

*' The County officers elected were : Chairman — 
David Scott ; SuperYisors — Peter Meiklejohn, 
Tyler Caldwell. These composed the Board for the 
transaction of both Town and County business. 
Treasurer — Simon C. Dow; Clerk of the Board — 
James Smiley; Surveyor — G. W. Taggart. John 
M. Vaughn received the votes for Sheriff, though 
it Avas well understood that our County was not 
entitled to such an officer. It w^as intended as a 
recommendation for the office of Deputy Sheriff, 
which we believed our County was entitled to. No 
votes were given for Clerk of the Court. 

'' The town officers elected were: S. F. Ware, of 
Waupaca, Albion Brandy, of Mukwa, and John 
Boyd, of Little River, Justices of the Peace ; Ira 
Brown, of Mukwa, Assessor; J. B. Hibbard, of 
Waupaca, Atwood Velie, of Little River, and 
Chauncy Foster, of Mukw^a, Constables. 

''After the polls were closed, and the votes can- 
vassed, and we were ready to make out returns, 
we found that the paper we had provided in the 
morning was exhausted. One of the Board went 
to Mr. Davis' store to get some, but he would not 
let us have any for ' love or money.' We began to 
think we were in a bad predicament, but Mr. 
Smiley generously came to our relief by bringing 
forward a blank book which supplied us with all 
the paper we needed. 

" By the time we got through with the business, 
it was late in the evening, and no one thought of 



182 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

starting for home that night. As full half of our 
party had been elected to some office, the next 
thing was to execute official bonds and oaths of 
office, which \vere required by law to be filed at 
the County seat; and we concluded the easiest 
way would be to have it done before we went 
home, as it would require at least another day to 
accomplish it. 

"Accordingly, every one who had been elected to 
any office, made out and filed the proper papers by 
signing one another's bonds as security. For- 
tunately we were not required to make affidavit 
to the amount of property we possessed, or there 
might have been trouble to find bondsmen of suf- 
ficient responsibility, for all the land on our side of 
the river was Government land, and unsurveyed, 
at that ; so it was extremely doubtful whether any 
of our party was worth a dollar besides what was 
covered by the exemption law ; but the question 
was never raised, and we got along without any 
difficulty. Every man who could write his name 
was just as good a bondsman as though he was 
worth a million. 

''After all the official papers were executed and 
filed, our Register of Deeds and Treasurer-elect 
found themselves in a tight place. They were re- 
quired by law to hold their offices at the County 
seat, but there were no buildings to be had, either 
as offices or residences, and if there had been build- 
ings to rent, the income of their offices would not 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 183 

pay the rent, to say nothing of other expenses. 

"There were but three buildings in the place. 
One was owned and occupied by Mr. Davis, part 
for a dwelling and part for a store. Horace Rolph 
had a comfortable building, used as a hotel, and 
Mr. Smiley had an unfinished building, part of 
which he converted into an office, the rest being 
occupied as a dwelling by his family. 

''In this emergency, Mr. Smiley was again called 
upon for relief, and importuned to accept a deputy- 
ship by both the Treasurer and Register of Deeds, 
which he consented to do. And thus, in the case 
of Mr. Smiley, were the words of the Psalmist, 
' The stone which the builders rejected has become 
the headstone of the corner,' more than verified; 
for he was not only the headstone of the comer, 
but it may be truthfully said that he was nearly 
the entire fabric, for he had control of all the im- 
portant offices in the County at the same time, 
and in every public position he ever occupied he 
proved himself to be a worthy and capable officer. 
He has ever since been a resident of the Town of 
Mukwa, and is now enjoying a quiet and honor- 
able old age." 

CHAPTER XXIX. 

Town of Little Wolf— Settled in 1848 by William Gold- 
berg—The Town was First Called " Centerville " — 
First Election of Officers in 1852. 

The Town of Little Wolf comprises Township 
23 north, Range 13 east. It is bounded on the 



184 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

north by the Town of Union, on the east by Leb- 
anon, on the south by Royalton, and on the west 
by St. Lawrence. 

The first settlement was made in 1848, by Will- 
iam Goldberg. In 1849, George E. and J. P. More 
moved in. In 1850, came James and Peter Meikle- 
john, and A. P. Jones. 

The first death was that of the wife of Dr. 
Wood, in 1855. 

Miss Fortner taught the first school, at the 
house of Peter Meiklejohn, in 1853. 

The first school house was built in 1857. 

The first church was built by the Catholics, in 
1877, at Manawa. 

The first sermon was preached in 1850, by Elder 
Baxter, at the house of Peter Meiklejohn. 

The first saw mill was built in 1849, by George 
and J. P. More, and Goldberg & Co. 

The first grist mill was built in 1857, by James 
Meiklejohn. 

The first postoffice was established in 1853, with 
A. P. Jones as postmaster. It was on the mail 
route from Green Bay to Plover. 

The first survey was made by Samuel Perrin, in 
1852, being the Government survey. 

The first store was kept by Beal & Meiklejohn, 
in 1854. 

The first town meeting was held in April, 1852, 
at the house of Peter Meiklejohn. The town was 
then called Centerville. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 185 

Peter Meiklejohn was the first Town Chairman. 
In 1850, Peter Meiklejohn set out the first apple 
trees. 

VILLAGE OF MANAWA. 

The Village of Manawa is situated near the cen- 
ter of the tow^n, and near the center of the County, 
on the Little Wolf River. It has 5 general stores, 
1 hardware store, 1 drug store, 1 saw mill, 1 stave 
factory, 1 millinery store, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 
meat market, 1 livery stable, 2 harness shops, 2 
furniture stores, 4 churches, and 1 high school. 

The population is nearly 500. 

Manawa is a station on the Green Bay, Winona 
& St. Paul railroad. 

The town oflicers for 1889 were: Chairman — 
H. Lindow; Supervisors — Crist Hess, E. G. St. 
George; Clerk — D. W. Shipman; Assessor — R. J. 
Matthias; Justices of the Peace — G. F. Rhinehart, 
Albert Bolter; Constable — A. Safiford. 



CHAPTER XXX. 

Town of Waupaca— Settled in 1849 — Organized in 1852 
— Village of Waupaca Incorporated in 1857 — The 
City Incorporated in 1875. 

The Town of Waupaca comprises Township 22 
north. Range 12 east. It is bounded on the north 
by the Town of St. Lawrence, on the east by 
Royalton, on the south by Lind, and on the west 
by Farmington. 



186 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The first settlement was on the 9th of June, 
1849, by E. C. Sessions, J. and W. B. Hibbard, J. 
M. Vaughn, and W. G. Cooper. In the Fall of the 
same year Captain David Scott, Dana Dewey, H. 
M. Garde, T. M. Paine, Dexter WilHams, F. B. 
Young, and James Thomas moved in. 

The first two claims for farming purposes ^were 
made by J. M. Vaughn and T. M. Paine, on Sec- 
tions 34 and 35, in 1849. 

The first child born was Mary Hibbard, daugh- 
ter of Joseph Hibbard, May 25, 1850. 

The first death was that of Joel Deiter, May 15, 
1850. 

The first marriage was that of Thomas Billing- 
ton and Emma Baxter, in 1851, Elder Baxter of- 
ficiating. 

The first school was taught Miss Dora Thomp- 
son, now Mrs. LeGros, in 1850. 

The first school house was built in 1851, in what 
is known as the Chandler and Vaughn district. 

The first church (Methodist) was built in 1853, 
in what is now the Fourth Ward of the City of 
Waupaca. It is now used as a blacksmith shop. 

The first sermon was preached by Rev. Silas 
Miller, a Methodist, in 1850, at the house of J. M. 
Vaughn . 

The first postofiice was established in 1851, 
with Captain David Scott as postmaster. The 
mail route was from Green Bay to Plover. O. E. 
Druetzer was carrier. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 187 

The first saw mill was built in 1850, by Silas 
Miller. 

The first grist mill was built in 1861, by W. C. 
Lord and Wilson Holt. 

Wilson Holt kept the first store, in 1851. 

W. G. Cooper built the first house (log) in 1849. 
J. M. Vaughn built the second one the same year. 

The first survey was made in 1849, by W. B. 
Mumbrue. 

The first law suit was before Justice Ware, in 
1851. The parties were Captain Spencer vs. L. 
W. Thayer. 

The first loaded wagon that came into this part 
of the County was that of J. M. Vaughn, in 1849. 

In 1853, E. C. Sessions planted the first apple 
trees, and in 1856 he raised the first apples. J. M. 
Vaughn set out a nursery in 1855. 

The first newspaper (also first in the County) 
was started by the Redfield Brothers, in 1853. It 
was the Waupaca Spirit. 

The first lawyer was W. G. Cooper, who came in 
1849. 

The first doctor was Rev. Cutting Marsh, who 
came in 1851. ^ 

ORGANIZATION OF THE TOWN. 

The town was organized by act of the County 
Board, at a special session held at Mukwa, March 
5, 1852. 

The first town meeting was held at the house of 
Mr. Mackintosh, in said town, April 6, 1851. 



188 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

The following officers were elected : Chairman — 
S. F. Ware; Supervisor — J. B. Hibbard ; Justices 
of the Peace — S. F. Ware, Granville Jones, W. B. 
Hibbard, Mellen Chamberlain; Constable — A. M. 
Garde. 

The town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — 
S. S. Chandler; Supervisors — G. Gabrilson, J. S. 
Stanfield; Treasurer — James Gamble; Clerk — O. 
C.Harrington; Assessor — M. A. Stinchfield; Jus- 
tices of the Peace— G. Nelson, Taylor Looker, C. 
E. Constance, Robert Bums. 

CITY OF WAUPACA. 

The Village of Waupaca was incorporated in 
1857. 

The first village officers were: President — D. 
Scott; Trustees— James Chesley, W. C. Lord, E. 
T. Miller, W. Scott, C. L. Bartlett; Clerk — W. 
Scott; Treasurer — G. V Mooney (chosen b3^ the 
Trustees in place of C. F. Hutchinson, who was 
elected, but failed to qualify) ; Street Commis- 
sioner — G. V. Mooney. 

Waupaca was incorporated as a city in 1875. 
The first city officers were : Mayor — Charles 
Wright; Aldermen— G. L.Lord,C. S. Ggden (First 
Ward), J. W. Evans, W. Wheeler (Second Ward) ; 
M. R. Baldwin, B. F. Brown (Third Ward) ; Clerk 
— F. F. Wheeler; Treasurer— Edwin Selleck; As- 
sessors — George Howlett, A. H. Chandler; Chief 
of Police — Edgar Bangle; Police Justice — Samuel 
Bailey; Street Commissioner— K. T. Chandler. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 189 

The city is situated in the western part of the 
town, on the Wisconsin Central railroad, and on 
the Waupaca River, which furnishes excellent 
power. The water power is pretty well improved, 
though its capacity is far from being fully utilized. 
Business men are beginning to appreciate its great 
advantages. 

Waupaca is one of the best markets for farmers 
in Northern Wisconsin. The chief product for ship- 
ment is potatoes. 

The city is the County seat of Waupaca County, 
and the Court House and Jail are located here. It 
is lighted by electricity, has well made streets, 
numerous fine residences, and is in many respects 
a desirable location for the man of business or 
leisure. 

The Wisconsin Veterans' Home, a State institu- 
tion, the first of its class in the country, is located 
on the Chain of Lakes, in Farmington, three miles 
west of Waupaca. 

Waupaca has 9 general stores, 5 grocery stores, 
2 furniture stores, 3 drug stores, 3 hardware 
stores, 2 clothing and furnishing goods stores, 
1 merchant tailor, 2 tailor shops, 3 harness 
shops, 4 jewelry stores, 3 meat markets, 3 barber 
shops, 1 bath room, 1 shoe store, 3 notion and 
confectionery stores, 1 bakerj^, 4 hotels, 3 restau- 
rants, 3 livery stables, 3 pump shops, 3 farm ma- 
chinery warehouses, 4 shoe shops, 6 blacksmith 
shops, 2 machine shops, 1 foundry, 3 wagon shops, 



190 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

2 planing mills, 2 grist mills, 1 starch factory, 1 
creamery and cold storage house, 1 marble shop, 
1 woolen mill, 1 bottling works, 1 brick 3^ard, 2 
photographers, 2 feed stores, 1 tannery, 1 brewery, 
1 nursery and fruit farm, 1 green house, a dozen 
or more produce and stock buyers, 4 millinery 
stores, 2 temperance saloons, 6 saloons, 2 national 
banks, 7 churches, 1 high school, 2 newspaper and 
printing offices, 1 job printing office. The pro- 
fessions are well represented. 

The city officers for 1890 were : Mayor — A. G. 
Nelson ; Aldermen — First Ward, Jacob Rasmussen, 
Ed. Williams; Second Ward, Hans Benlick, Will 
Ware; Third Ward, Peter Nelson, Fred Rosche; 
Fourth Ward, Thomas Pipe, Frank Machin ; Sup- 
ervisors — First Ward, C. S. DeVoin ; Second Ward, 
R. Tuttle; Third Ward, H. H. Suhs; Fourth Ward, 
D. Parish; Clerk — W. H. Holmes; Treasurer — 
Alfred Johnson; Assessor — A. J. VanEpps; Police 
Justice— James Chesley ; Chief of Police — Lars 
Larson; Street Commissioner— Jens Johnson. 



CHAPTER XXXI. 

Town of Scandinavia— First Settlement in 1851— First 
Election OF Officers in 1853— Village of Sc vndina via. 

The Town of Scandinavia consists of Township 
23 north, Range 11 east. It is bounded on the 
north by the Town of lola, on the east by St. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 191 

Lawrence, on the south by Farmington, and on 
the west by Portage County. 

The first settlement was made by H. J. Eleason, 
in 1851. Ole Anderson, Isaac Eleason, J. C. Elea- 
son, J. J. Torgerson, and Casper Zwicky moved in 
about the same time. 

Ole Yogsland taught the first school. 

The first church was the Evangelical Lutheran, 
built in 1856. 

Rev. H. C. Pause preached the first sermon, in 
1853. 

The first saw mill was built by J. P. Peterson. 

H. B. Pause & Co. built the first grist mill. 

The first postofiice was established in 1856, 
with Adolph Sorenson as postmaster. The first 
mail route was from Waupaca. 

The Government survey was made in 1851. It 
was the first survey in the town. 

The first town meeting was held in April, 1853, 
at the house of Hans J. Eleason. No record of the 
ofl[icers chosen at that election can be found ; but 
the next year Ole Rein was elected Chairman. 

In 1854, Thomas Knoph kept the first store. H. 
B. Pause opened a store in 1855. 

VILLAGE OF SCANDINAVIA. 

The Village of Scandinavia is located in Sections 
15 and 22, on the Green Bay, Winona & St. Paul 
railroad. It has 3 general stores, 1 hardware 
store, 1 meat market and grocery store, 2 shoe 



192 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

shops, 2 blacksmith shops, 1 wagon shop, 1 jew- 
eler, 1 photographer, 1 grist mill, 1 hotel, and half 
a dozen or more produce buyers. The village is 
steadily growing. 

The Town officers for 1889 were: Chairman — 
Stephen Jacobson ; Supervisors — C. H. Anderson, 
C. C. Zwicky; Treasurer — T. O. Lounen; Clerk — 
Theodore Paulson ; Assessor — L. Gertson ; Justices 
of the Peace — G. Gilson, H. A. Anderson, E. 
Johnson. 

CHAPTER XXXII. 

Eaely Reminiscences of Waupaca County, Read at the 
Old Settlers' Meeting at New London, February 19, 
1874, BY W. F. Waterhouse, Historian. 

The history of Waupaca County seems natural- 
ly to divide itself into three distinct epochs. The 
first embraces the period of savage ownership and 
occupancy, reaching from times far back of the 
historic age to the conclusion of the treaty of ces- 
sion from the Menominee tribe to the whites. The 
second epoch embraces the period from the date of 
the treaty to the final surrender of the possession 
by the Menominees. The third epoch embraces the 
events of the succeeding years, reaching to the 
present time. 

The events of the first epoch are, in the main, a 
sealed book. Many a wild epic of savage loves 
and hates, of nomadic conflicts and savage ven- 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 193 

geance, may have been enacted on the soil of 
Waupaca County, the story of which passed into 
tradition, then into fable, and finally died out of 
memory and left no trace to guide the pen of the 
historian. 

It is probable that the earliest Indian tribes, 
those first seen and named by the Jesuit explorers, 
had their principal villages on the Fox River and 
the lower Wolf, and that the district embraced in 
Waupaca County was a favorite hunting ground, 
much frequented by roving bands. The rich spoils 
of the chase were carried home in their light 
canoes, on the many streams that thread this 
whole region. Sites of Indian villages of moderate 
antiquity are common in many parts of the State, 
especially near the mouth of the Wolf River ; but 
no evidence remains of any considerable Indian 
village in the region now embraced within Wau- 
paca County. 

On an island in White Lake is an ancient Indian 
clearing, of about one acre in extent. This was, as 
I have learned from conversation with some of the 
Indians since I have been in the County, for a long 
time the permanent home of a small band of 
Menominees, who cultivated here a little com to 
supplement the precarious dependence upon the 
bow and spear. This band had, since the occu- 
pancy of the whites, a chief or patriarch named 
Wey-au-we-ga, from whom the village of Weyau- 
wega derives its name, and whose skull, thanks to 



194 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

the archeological enterprize of Dr. Bliss, of Royal- 
ton, now reposes in the archives of the Smithson- 
ian Institute, at Washington. 

Evidences everywhere exist of the occupancy of 
this whole region by the Mound Builders. Nearly 
every lake and stream in the County exhibits 
along its banks those conical structures* which so 
puzzle the archeologist and antequarian. But no^ 
where in this County do these mounds reach such' 
size and elaborateness as they do in regions farther 
south. This fact is supposed to indicate a north- 
ern (and peihaps Asiatic) origin of the Mound 
Builders, and a southward movement of the horde, 
with constantly increasing numbers, power and 
civilization. But the territory of Waupaca County 
seems to have been prized most as a hunting^ 
ground by the Indian tribes vv^ho followed the 
Mound Builders, and who paid it periodical visits. 

The second epoch may be considered as com- 
mencing with negotiations of the treaty of cession 
with the Menominees, in October, 1848, (although 
the Indian title to that portion of the County 
lying east of Wolf River was extinguished several 
years before), and extending to the final surrender 
of possession by the Indians, on the first day of 



* Within twenty rods of our house are two of these curious mounds, 
within a few rods of each other ; while a short distance beyond, still 
upon our farm, are two more, nearly the samedistance apart. The 
trees which were found standing upon those mounds were of the 
same size as those farther oflF. All our excavations have failed to 
furnish any help in guessing the purpose of their construction. J. W. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 195 

June, 1852. This period is eminently the period of 
settlement, and the time intervening between the 
first of June, IS 52, and today, may be classified 
3-S the period of growth and progress. 

So far as I have been able to ascertain, but one 
white settlement was made in the County of Wau- 
paca previous to the year 1848, Alpheus Hicks, 
father of ''Steve" Hicks, of New London, made an 
exploring trip up Wolf River from Oshkosh, and 
landed in the County of Waupaca, somewhere near 
the present site of Fremont, in 1843.* The next 
3^ear he went up the river as far as Shawano 
Lake.t He returned to Oshkosh, but finally set- 
tled at Fremont, where he now resides. There are 
quite a number of ladies now residing in the 
County, who claim the honor of being the first 
white women residents in the territory of Waupaca 
County ; but, if I have obtained correct informa- 
tion, Mrs. Elizabeth Hicks, step-mother of Stephen 
Hicks, can justly claim that honor. $ 

A provision was inserted in the treaty of 1848, 
granting to Robert Grignon one quarter-section of 
land on which his mill was established, near the 
mouth of the Little Wolf River. This provision of 
the treaty was ratified, and patents w^ere issued to 
Robert Grignon. Previous to the date of the 

* It was in April, 1846, as Mrs. Hicks informs us. J. W. 

; f Mr. Hicks went directly up the Wolf River in 1843. J. W. 

t Mrs. Elizabeth Hicks does not claim that honor, but thinks that 
she was the first white woman who traveled the Wolf River, in 
Waupaca County. J. W. 



196 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

treaty, he and his associates had built a saw mill. 
During the winter of 1848-49, Eliphalet Gordon 
and his son " Dud " Gordon, of Little Wolf, put in 
a large amount of logs. In the Summer of 1849, 
they leased the mill, and sawed and rafted down 
the Wolf River a large amount of lumber, which 
found a slow market at $4 per thousand feet. 
During the Winter of 1848-49, Philetus Sawyer 
worked here as a common laborer. 

A girl who worked at the mill boarding house 
that Winter (I have been unable to ascertain her 
name) was no doubt the second white woman 
resident of Waupaca County.* 

In the Spring of 1849, several mill enterprises 
were undertaken within the present limits of 
Waupaca County, and settlements for agricultural 
purposes w^ere commenced. 

The first furrow turned in the County was in 
June, 1849, by some person whose name your 
historian has thus far been unable to obtain. It 
was on a bit of sandy prairie near the farm of 
Simon C. Dow, in Lind, but prior to Mr. Dow's 
settlement there. 

Before the close of 1849, settlers' cabins had 
begun to dot the plains in the southern part of the 
County. Billington, Tibbetts, Van Ostrand and 
others had settled near Weyauwega; S. C. Dow, 
Colonel Chandler, and J. M. Vaughn, between 
Weyauwega and Waupaca; E. C. Sessions, J. and 

* A Mrs. Bigelow, as we are informed. J. W. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 197 

W. B. Hibbard, Dana Dewey, Captain Scott, Judge 
Ware, W. B. Cooper and others, at Waupaca; 
C. Caldwell and Jason Rice, on the Wallawalla, 
at Lind Center; Mr. Nordman, at or near New 
London ; R. Eastman, at Springer's Point ; Mr. 
Wilcox, near the mouth of the Waupaca River; 
and Charles Edwards, at Little River. This list, 
it is believed, embraces nearly all the settlements 
existing in the County in the year 1849. 

It is worthy of remark that all these settlements 
were made in violation of law. Mr. Bruce, then 
Indian Agent of the Menominees, amused himself 
by forbidding these settlements. Ever and anon 
he made fearful threats of expulsion and punish- 
ment. But the tide of emigration had set in, and 
the pioneer, with his face set towards the ''Indian 
Lands," was not to be intimidated or checked in 
his progress by any threats of Government offi- 
cials. The glowing descriptions of this country 
that reached Eastern people would fill volumes. 

In 1850, Judge Beal, from Indiana, made a claim 
embracing a quarter-section of land lying east of 
the Village of Weyauwega, and opened a general 
variety store in a log house, part of the remains of 
which may be found standing in Weyauwega now. 
However, the firm of Brickley & Bergstressor have 
the honor of establishing the first white trading 
post in the County. It was at Fremont.* 

* We understand Mr. Benjamin Brickley to sav that C. L. Gumaer 
commenced trading at Weyauwega before he and Bergstressor did at 
Fremont. j_ \y 



198 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Your historian at that time was plodding along 
on his farm in the State of Michigan, and corres- 
ponding with Judge Beal, who, by the way, was 
an old acquaintance. From the glowing descrip- 
tions of the country received through that corres- 
pondence, he became suddenly enamored with the 
prospects of a bright future before him, packed his 
"traps," and in the Summer of 1852 was on his 
way to the Indian Lands of Waupaca County. 

Arriving at Oshkosh, our progress was impeded 
by the non-arrival of the steamboat then making 
tri-weekly trips from Oshkosh to Mukwa, then the 
terminus of Wolf River navigation. After staying 
at Oshkosh one da3^ and night, we embarked on 
the famous steamer Peggy, Captain Sherwood, 
bound for Mukwa. 

A break in the machinery occasioned some delay 
at Winneconne, where I came across an old ac- 
quaintance and school chum, William B. Mumbrue, 
who gave me such a glowing history of his pil- 
grimage to the ''Indian Lands," that I could 
hardly wait for the boat to start up the river. 

[While waiting at Winneconne, Mr. Mumbrue 
gave Mr. Waterhouse an account of the prelimi- 
nary survey he had made westward from Wolf 
River in 1849, mention of which has been made in 
another part of this history. He also related 
some of the experiences of his first trip up the 
Wolf River, incidents of which are embodied in 
the following pages:] 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 199 

In July, 1849, there came to Winneconne a party 
of explorers, consisting of J. M. Vaughn, Alonzo 
Vaughn, W. B. Cooper, and John Taylor, from 
Plymouth, Sheboygan County, and a doctor from 
Erie County, New York. Some two or three weeks 
before, another party, consisting of W. B. and 
Joseph Hibbard, and E. C. Sessions, had started 
northward from Plymouth. Moving northwest 
on the east side of Lake Winnebago, by devious 
wanderings, they crossed the Wolf River at or 
above Mukwa, and stumbled upon the magnifi- 
cent water power and beautiful village site of 
Waupaca. 

A portion of the party returned to Plymouth for 
supplies, and carried news of the rich discovery. 
General Taylor and party were in search of the 
''Vermonters' Camp," as Waupaca was then 
called. The countrj^ thereabouts was then knowm 
as the ^'Tomorrow River Country." This latter 
party Mumbrue joined. They hired two Indians 
and a birch bark canoe, it being agreed that the 
Indians should serve both as guides and paddlers. 
Arranging themselves very trimly and cautiously 
in the bottom of the frail and treacherous little 
craft, six men in all, they started up the Wolf 
River. 

The day was consumed in making the distance 
to the mouth of the Waupaca River, where the 
little party landed at dark, having seen during 
the day not a sign of human habitation, save an 



200 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

occasional collection of Indian graves on the bank 
of the river, to some of which their attention was 
called by little white flags, floating over the small 
roofs with which the Indians are accustomed to 
cover their dead. 

From the landing place at Gills Landing, the 
party followed their dusky guides through the 
dim, mysterious forest of giant pines which then 
flanked the Waupaca River, near its junction with 
the Wolf, out into an orchard-like belt of oak 
openings — the site of the Village of Weyanw^ega. 
Here the party came in view of a white tent, the 
only human habitation then at Weyauwega. This 
was occupied by Henry Tourtelotte, with his 
Indian wife, Ke-mink, a woman well known and 
respected by the early white settlers of this portion 
of the County. Passing this tent, the party 
turned down to the river, where dim lights w^ere 
visible, and crossed on a rude foot bridge to the 
boarding house of the mill company, who had 
already commenced getting out timber for their 
saw mill. The party obtained food and lodging 
at the boarding house. Serving as cook at this 
house was a woman who, the same Summer, be- 
came the wife of Washington Hogle. She was the 
first white woman in Weyauwega. 

After breakfast, payment for the entertainment 
being courteously but indignantly declined by 
their hosts, the party, under guidance of one of the 
Indians, passed southward over Gallows Hill, and, 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 201 

striking a trail in the valley, reached Simon C. 
Dow's cabin in time to assist in demolishing a vast 
pile of slapjacks and molasses. 

Dow and Chandler had been in occupancy of this 
cabin about ten days, and were the first settlers of 
the Town of Lind. Here the party met W. B. 
Hibbard, who had come down from the "Ver- 
monters' Camp" for some flour. Following Mr. 
Hibbard's lead, partly by an Indian trail, and 
partly by a line which the Yermonters had blazed, 
crossing the South Branch on a fallen tree, near its 
junction with the Waupaca, the party reached the 
** Yermonters' Camp," the site of the present 
County seat of Waupaca County. Here the 
travelers rested from their journey, sheltered by 
an awning of bushes supported by four poles, and 
backed by a granite ledge. This was then the 
nearest approach to a building at Waupaca. 

The Yermonters soon had a fire crackling mer- 
rily on the greensward. Flour was kneaded in a 
trough, hollowed out with an ax. The contents 
of the trough, without leaven or baking powder, 
was transfered to chips and placed in the glowing 
embers, and "dough gods" were the result! As 
etiquette seemed to require, the strangers were 
served first, and then another batch placed in the 
ashes for the hosts themselves. But it was not 
until the travelers had feasted, that they learned 
to their infinite mortification that some of the 
Yermonters' party had not tasted food for two 



202 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

days. The night, although in Jnly, proved chilly, 
and the whole party, eleven in number, stretched 
on the ground like a row of pins, shivered beneath 
the twinkling stars, or, in uneasy slumbers, 
dreamed of softer beds in more civilized lands. 

Morning came at length, and with it the start- 
ling news that the larder was empty! The riotous 
feasting of the night before had exhausted Bill 
Hibbard's small stock of flour, and breakfast was 
quite out of the question. The Indian was dis- 
patched to ''Tourtelotte's Camp" (Weyauweaga) 
for supplies, while the party straggled ofl" in 
desultory explorations, not without hopes that 
some fat buck would considerately come within 
range of their guns. At noon no such circumstance 
had occurred, nor had the Indian returned, and 
the party, owing to certain strenuous promptings 
of the inner man, were compelled to set about 
their return. 

In chronicling events incident to the first settle- 
ment of Waupaca County, the historian is relieved 
from the excitement occasioned by accounts of 
hair-breadth escapes of the whites from the toma- 
hawk and scalping knife of the ruthless and hostile 
savage; because here there seems to have been 
reciprocal feelings of friendship and hospitality 
between the settlers and the Indians. Many a 
settler took for his life partner a dusky maiden of 
the forest, with whom he lived in peace and har- 
mony. There were some exceptions, of course; 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 203 

for instance, one man living near Shawano, in 
1852, who was so mean that his squaw finally 
refused to live with him. 



CHAPTER XXXIII. 

The Old Settlers' Society— Its Organization in 1872— 
List of Old Settlers— a Summary of Their Proceedings, 

The Old Settlers' Society of Waupaca County 
was organized in 1872, in pursuance of a call 
numerously signed, and published in the County 
papers. The first meeting was held at the Tarbell 
House, Weyauwega, March 28, 1872. 

The meeting was called to order by W. F. 
Waterhouse. Hon. Louis Bostedo, of Weyauwega, 
was chosen Chairman, and J. Wakefield, of Fre- 
mont, Secretary. Ira Millerd, of New London, 
and Judge Ogden, of Waupaca, were chosen Vice 
Presidents. 

The following gentlemen were chosen a commit- 
tee to present a Constitution and By-laws : G. W. 
Taggart, John Fordyce, Weyauwega; James 
Smiley, Mukwa; G. L. Lord, Waupaca; Giles S. 
Doty, Larrabee. 

The following were chosen a committee to pre- 
pare a program of exercises: Lucius Taft, New 
London; A. D. Smith, Lind; William A. Springer, 
Fremont; M. A. Stinchfield, Waupaca; W. F. 
Waterhouse, Weyauwega. 

The committee made the following report : 



204 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Opening address, by Hon. E. L. Browne, Wau- 
paca. 

Historical relations. 

Supper at the Tarbell House. 

Toasts and responses ; W. F. Waterhouse, toast 
master. 

A general social conference, without formality. 

The committee on nominations was composed 
as follows: A. Y. Balch, Weyauwega; William 
Masters, Royal ton ; George M. Pope, Lind ; Paul 
Farrinacci, New London; W. A. Springer, Fre- 
mont; J. W. Hibbard, Waupaca; James Smiley, 
Mukwa; O. A. Quimb3^, Dupont; I. Brown, Leb- 
anon ; Giles S. Doty, Larrabee ; W. Fife, Caledonia. 

CONSTITUTION. 

The committee reported a Constitution, which 
was adopted. A residence of seventeen years in 
the County was required as a condition of mem- 
bership in the Society. 

The officers were to consist of President, Vice 
President, Secretary, Treasurer, Historian, and an 
Executive Committee of five. 

The annual meeting was to be held on the sec- 
ond Wednesday of February, for the election of 
officers. 

The following persons then signed the Constitu- 
tion, and became members : 

Louis Bostedo came in 1851, Ira Millerd '52, 
Carr Barker '51, J. S. Potter '49, L. Taft '51, Paul 
Farrinacci '52, HoUis Gibson '52, O. A. Quimby 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 205 

'55, D. Baxter '54, R. Baxter '49, J. W. Dean '54, 
E. Selleck '51, Ira Millerd, Jr., '52, G. D. Tarbell 
'50, M. A. Stinchfield 50, N. Pope, Jr., '53, J. 
Jenney '51, W. A. Springer '49, A. Sibley '50, W. E, 
Powers '49, Thomas Durant '55, Conrad Jerold 
'50, A. D. Smith '54, C. B. Lewis '53, J. W. Hib- 
bard '49, E. L. Browne '52, W. F. Waterhouse '52, 
D. Hutchinson '53, George L. Lord '50, P. A. 
Chesley '52, Andrew Gardner '53, James Thomas 
'49, W. H. Teal '56, D. Axtell '54, William Masters 
'54, G. S. Doty '51, E. Edwards '53, John Fordyce 
'52, T. Rich '53, E. Whitlock '54, George E. More 
'49, R. Chambers '54, L. L. Post '51, D. D. Bum- 
ham '56, J. N. Mathews '55, A. P. Jones '50, H. B. 
Hulse '53, J. Baxter '52, William Chambers, Sr., 
'54, A. V. Balch '51, Alfred Gardner '53, James 
Smiley '51, George W. Taggart '49, George M. 
Pope '50, W. Fife '54, J. Poll '53, C. S. Ogden '54, 
J. Wakefield '55, T. Jenney '49, W. C. Potter 
'53, W. G. Gumaer '56, A. L. Bostedo '52, G. 
Farley '53, J. Van Orman '54, J. A. Chesley '52, 
Ira Markham '55, Johnson Tarr '51, Henry C. 
Mumbrue '52, Robert Brown '54, P. Meiklejohn 
'49, B. B. Waterhouse '56, F. D. Dewey '49. 

LADIES. 

Isabella Isbell, C. L. Calkins, Elizabeth Thomas, 
M. Bostedo, C. E. Ogden, S. Dean, E. B. Gibson, 
Ruth Jenney, F. C. Potter, M. Meiklejohn, E. Post, 
H. M. Dean, D. P. Farrinacci, E. J. Pope, M. M. 
Allen, H.J. Gardner, M. E. Potter, N. Waterhouse, 



206 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

S. A. Taft, J. E. Springer, S. Millerd, M. Durant, 
E. C. Quimby, E. L. Taggart, C. Clarke, R. 
Baxter, S. Edwards, R. S. Millerd, S. T. Balch, A. 
L. Webber, M. J. Balch, M. M. Wakefield, Abby 
Combs, M. C. Hulse, E. Bostedo, Margaret Sum- 
ner, Lelia S. Teal, M. Barker, E. M. Baxter, B. B. 
Waterhouse, S. Waterhouse, S. Baxter, S. G. 
Bracket. 

The committee on nominations recommended 
the following officers, who were elected : 

President, Louis Bostedo ; Vice President, Lucius 
Taft; Secretary, Judge C. S. Ogden ; Treasurer, G. 
M. Pope; Historian, J. Wakefield; Executive Com- 
mittee, E. L. Browne, Chairman, A. D. Smith, 
Giles S. Doty, George W. Taggart, James Smiley. 

Hon. E. L. Browne then gave one of his happiest 
addresses, amid general applause. 

After supper came the toasts and responses : 

Toast, by W. F. Waterhouse— '' The good ship 
Mayflower, and the good steamer Peggy ; the one 
landing her passengers and cargo on Plymouth 
Rock, to people and civilize the wilds of New Eng- 
land, the other landing her cargo and passengers 
on the marsh at Gills Landing, to people and civi- 
lize the wilds of Waupaca County." Response by 
Hon. L. Bostedo, who gave a very amusing 
account of a voyage on the Peggy from Oshkosh 
to Gills Landing in the Spring of 1853. 

Toast, by W. C. Potter—'' Staple nourishment of 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 207 

the river towns— suckers and milk !" Pleasant re- 
sponse by William Barnes. 

Toast, by Hon. E. L. Browne—*' To the memory 
of the Peggy." 

Toast, by the same— ''The Judiciary of Waupaca 
County." Response by W. F. Waterhouse. 

H. C. Mumbrue brought down the house when 
he told of the bear chase, near Gills Landing, in 
which W. F. Waterhouse was the principal actor. 

The meeting then adjourned. 

J. Wakefield, Secretary. 

SECOND MEETING. 

The second Old Settlers' Reunion was held at 
Waupaca, February 12, 1873. At that meeting 
ninety new members were added. 

A speech by Judge Gate had been expected, but 
he failed to appear, and Hon. E. L. Browne came 
to the rescue with a well received address. 

The following officers were elected : 

President, Hon. L. Bostedo; Vice President, H. 
C. Mumbrue; Secretary, J. Wakefield; Treasurer, 
Evan Townsend; Historian, W. F. Waterhouse; 
Executive Committee, Ira Millerd, Judge C. S. 
Ogden, G. W. Taggart, J. W. Perry, G. S. Doty. 

Toast, by W. F. Waterhouse— '' The Press of 
Waupaca County." Response by Vice President 
Mumbrue. 

Toast — "The amateur sportsmen of Waupaca 
County." Laughable responses by W. F. Water- 
house and A. Y. Balch. 



208 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Toast— ^' The boys of Waupaca County." Re- 
sponse by Rev. Stanley Lathrop. 

Toast— ^' The first child bom in the County." 
(Said to be Mary Hibbard, of Waupaca.) 

Toast — The Old Settlers ; they have carried civi- 
lization across the continent, frofti Plymouth Rock 
to the setting sun." 

Toast — ''The early navigation of Wolf River." 
Response by H. C. Mumbrue. 

Toast — ''Early Judiciary of Waupaca County." 
Responses by E. L. Browne, W. F. Waterhouse, 
and J. Wakefield, giving amusing experiences in 
some of our primitive courts. 

On motion of W. F. Waterhouse, Hon. E. L. 
Browne was thanked for his entertaining address. 

C. S. Ogden, Secretary. 

NEW MEMBERS. 

John Moodie, N. Perkins, Mrs. D. L. Manchester, 
J. Lutzer, Huldah Lutzer, E. Townsend, L. Perkins, 
R. R. Roberts, C. G. Witt, R. Witt, W. Consolus, 
Lydia Consolus, J. Mead, Nancy Mead, B. S. Dar- 
ling, Frances Darling, Charles Peter, R. Green, J. 
B. Green, F. L. Witt, Lucia Witt, J. Spencer, F. 
Beardmore, J. R. Parish, Mary Caldwell, Ann 
Meiklejohn, Frank Hutchinson, Mrs. Huntoon, E. 
Chandler, W. West, D. Parish, W. J. Chamberlain, 
G. White, H. Dunbar, Martha Axtell, Nancy Axtell, 
Olive Hibbard, Mary Roberts, Mrs. C. M. Bright, 
Mary Ogden, Mrs. H. H. Miles, Mrs. G. L. Le 
Gros, Sarah Ogden, Elvira Hopkins, Maria Dewey, 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 209 

Mrs. M. E. Smith, Mrs. Elizabeth Streit, Marj- J, 
Parish, Lucy Moodie, Mrs. J. Crocker, J. Crocker, 
Mrs. Whitney, Elizabeth Masters, A. H. Chandler, 
Mrs. J. W. Chandler, H. M. Vaughn, Mrs. Clark, 
C. C. Baxter, Frances E. Edwards, C. E. Dreutzer, 
Nelly Dreutzer, J. W. Perry, A. Gasman, T. M. 
Paine, B. Strain, S. Woodnorth, A. J. Van Epps, 
John M. Ware, H. Looker, John Minton, C. Beton, 
W. S. Worth, Mrs. H. Young, H. Baxter, Isabel 
Bumham, Flora P. Rich, A. Rich, S. E. Lathrop, 
C. O. Brown, Thomas Axtell, John Gordinier, Asa 
Axtell, R. B. Axtell, Samuel Leonard, John A. 
Ogden, J. G. Bemis, J. S. Redfield, Charles Church- 
ill, Mrs. G. L. Lord, Mrs. E. L. Browne. 

THIRD REUNION. 

The third reunion was held at New London, 
February 19, 1874. 

Historian Waterhouse read a very interesting 
report, portions of w^hich are published in this 
volume. 

A neat address of welcome in behalf of the New 
London Old Settlers was made by Captain Ster- 
ling, and responded to by Vice President Mumbrue. 

Appropriate remarks were made by several Old 
Settlers. 

The New London Glee Club gave some excellent 
vocal and instrumental music. 

OFFICERS ELECTED. 

President, Hon. L. Bostedo ; Vice President, H. 
C. Mumbrue; Secretary, J. Wakefield; Treasurer, 



210 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Evan Townsend; Historian, W. F. Waterhouse; 
Executive Committee, G. W. Taggart, Ira Millerd, 
Judge Ogden, Giles Doty. 

Toast, by W. F. Waterhouse — ''The early poli- 
ticians of Waupaca County." Response by James 
Meiklejohn, running over with genuine humor. 

Toast, by Ira Millerd — ''The first mercantile 
establishment at New London." Response by 
William Masters, telling "how they used to do it." 

Toast, by H. C. Mumbrue — "The early inter- 
preters of the Indian language on Wolf River." Re- 
sponse by J. C. Hoxie, creating some merriment 
when he told how " Bill " Masters used to interpret 
Menominee. 

Toast— " Spruce gum gatherers." A. J. Perkins 
told about that. 

Toast, by Giles S. Doty— "The early settlers of 
Bear Creek." That called out C. W. Packard. 

Toast, by J. E. Devins—" Early weddings of 
Waupaca County." W. F. Waterhouse told how 
he once employed Devins to interpret for him at a 
wedding, and then "Jim" managed to secure the 
lion's share of the fee. 

In addition to the toasts and responses, some 
very interesting reminiscences were called out. 

NEW MEMBERS. 

John M. Vaughn, M. L. Haywood, H. S. E. 
Haywood, Eliza Stinchfield, George Hammond, 
Hiram Lyon, Joseph Hammond, C. W. Packard, 
A. F. Tucker, Fred Hale, Edward Dawson, R. M. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 211 

May, C. F. Eaton, Mrs. J. C. Eaton, James E. 
Devins, Mrs. J. E. Devins, Benjamin Dean, Mrs.W. 
A. West, Mrs. William Dayton, Mrs. R. Chand- 
ler, Nathan Johnson, Mrs. N. Johnson, C. E. 
Gordon, H.Brown, W. A. Sterling, D. L. Manches- 
ter, D. Dinem, P. Gorman, J. E. Snell, E. E. Dickin- 
son, A. C. Daugherty, C. V. Sherman, A. P. Jones, 
W. A. Clinton, P. Dickinson, F. M. Guernsey, R.M. 
Hubbard, Mrs. H. M. Hubbard, Henry Stillman, 
Mrs. Doty, Mrs. Guernsej^ James Meiklejohn, Mrs. 
A. Smith, Sarah E. Clinton, Mrs. Chittenden, Mrs. 
C. L. Hale, Mrs. L. R. McCall, Mrs. H. Brown. 

FOURTH REUNION. 

The fourth reunion was held at Weyauwega, 
February 17, 1875. 

Officers elected: President, L. Bostedo ; Vice 
President, Giles S. Doty ; Secretarj^ J. Wakefield ; 
Treasurer, Evan Townsend; Historian, Peter 
Meiklejohn; Executive Committee, A. V. Balch, 
Royal Green, Ira Millerd, James Meiklejohn, U. P. 
Clinton. 

W. C. Potter, M. A. Stinchfield, and W. A. 
Springer were appointed a committee to prepare a 
list of questions for the use of the Historian. 

Arrangements were made to hold a special meet- 
ing and picnic at White Lake the following Sum- 
mer. 

WHITE LAKE PICNIC. 

July 24, 1875, the Old Settlers assembled at 
White Lake. 



212 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

An excellent address was delivered by Rev. 
Stanley E. Lathrop, of Waupaca, after which an 
old-fashioned old settlers' dinner was partaken of. 

After dinner there were short addresses by Elder 
Ashmun, Dr. Brainard, N. Livermore, A. V. Balch 
and others, who gave pleasing experiences of the 
old times. 

NEW MEMBERS. 

George H. Calkins, N. Livermore, P. A. House, 
Mrs. A. Farley, V. G. Calkins, Harriet Calkins, J. 
Ashmun, Felix Oborn, E. S. Wait, Mrs. Emily 
Wait, L. M. Collier, Mrs. L. M. Collier, 'Andrew 
Mack, Mrs. A. Mack, Mrs. H. A. Mather, Mrs. E. 
Wilcox, Andrew Meiklejohn, E. J. Ashmun and 
wife, M. Campbell, H. S. Baldwin, Harriet Bald- 
win, J. C. Williams, A. B. Wightman, M. P. Wight- 
man, H. W. Eldridge, T. B. Putney, Jane Cham- 
bers, J. W. Penney, Mrs. M. B. Morse, Mrs. A. M. 
Clark, Mrs. J. S. Redfield, Frank Conrad. 

FIFTH REUNION. 

The fifth reunion was held at the Court House, 
Waupaca, February 16, 1876. 

There was prayer by Rev. Stanley E. Lathrop, 
and singing by the Waupaca Glee Club. 

Secretary Wakefield being absent, Hon. A. V. 
Balch was chosen Secretary pro tern. 

OflScers elected: President, Hon. L. Bostedo; 
Vice President, James Meiklejohn; Secretary, E. 
Selleck ; Treasurer, Evan Townsend ; Historian, J. 
Wakefield; Executive Committee, A. V. Balch, 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 213 

M .A. Stinchfield, J. C. Hoxie, J. P. Bailey, Giles S. 
Doty. 

Twenty-five dollars was voted to Historian 
Wakefield, to aid him in gathering the statistics 
called for at a previous meeting. 

Rev. Stanley E. Lathrop gave one of his happiest 
addresses, closing by reading the old farm ballad, 
" Out of the old house into the new." 

The Glee Club than sang '' Auld Lang Syne," the 
audience joining. 

The time for the annual meeting was changed to 
the first Wednesday in September. 

The meeting closed by singing ''Home, Sweet 
Home." 

NEW MEMBERS. 

Mrs. A. Custard, Mrs. P. A. Chesley, Miss F. L. 
Le Gros, Carrie Calkins, Mrs. L. F. West, Josie 
Chesley, Mrs. Mary B. Paine, John Jardine, H. W. 
Waterhouse, John Townsend and wife, J. Brown, 
J. D. Bailey, A. Vaughn, Thomas Pipe, A. S. West 
and wife, S. S. Chandler, Miss M. Gordinier, Amos 
Smith and wife, N. R. Burbank and wife. 

SIXTH REUNION. 

The sixth reunion was held February 14, 1877, 
at Craig's Hall, Roy alt on. 

After prayer by Elder Fastman, A. V. Balch was 
chosen Secretary pro tern, in the absence of Sec- 
retary Selleck. 

The report of Historian Wakefield was read, 
and critisized by the Old Settlers. 



214 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

Officers elected: President, Hon. L. Bostedo; 
Vice President, Hon. Gorge E. More; Secretary, 
Hon. A. Y. Balch; Treasurer, Evan Townsend; 
Historian, J. Wakefield; Executive Committee, 
William Masters, M. A. Stinchfield, W. A. Sterling, 
G. W. Taggart, A. W. Johnson. 

There was no meeting in 1878. 

CALLED MEETING. 

A called meeting was held at White Lake, August 
1, 1879. 

In the absence of the President and Vice Presi- 
dent, the meeting was called to order by William 
Masters, Chairman of the Executive Committee, 
who was then chosen President pro tern. In tak- 
ing the chair, Mr. Masters feelingly alluded to the 
death of our late President, Hon. Louis Bostedo, 
who had so long presided over our deliberations, 
and who had for many years taken so much 
interest in the society. He remarked that his 
death had been the reason why no meeting of the 
society had been held in 1878. 

Officers elected: President, Hon. E. L. Browne; 
Vice President, Hon. L. L. Post; Secretary, Hon. 
A. V. Balch; Treasurer, M. A. Stinchfield; His- 
torian, J. Wakefield; Executive Committee, W. A. 
Springer, William Masters, F. D. Dewey, H. Gib- 
son, Ira Millerd. 

NEW MEMBERS. 

Isabel Mathews, Jane A. Van Epps, P. M. 
Davis and wife. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 215 

By looking over ottr records, we find the names 
of 314 who had become members of our society 
since its organization. 

The Historian can find nothing that is worthy 
of particular mention in any subsequent meeting 
of the society. Some of those whose names are 
here recorded are still with us, and may be spared 
for a few more gatherings ; but the eighteen years 
that have passed since the organization of our 
society, have done a fearful work in thinning our 
ranks. We can not record the names of all the 
missing ones, and would not have the heart to do 
so if we could. They have shaken hands with us 
for the last time here, and passed over that deep, 
dark river, which we must all cross soon. It may 
be that when we all get over there we shall be 
permitted to remember some of our pleasant 
meetings here, and take delight in those pleasing 
recollections. 

CHAPTER XXXIV. 

List of County Officials Since the Organization, 
Compiled From The Records. 

The following is a complete list of County 
officers since the organization in 1851. The list 
has been compiled from County records, and is as 
accurate as that source of information makes 
possible : 

COUNTY JUDGE. 

S. F. Ware, A. K. Osbom, C. S. Ogden, Winfield 
Scott, C. S. Ogden. 



216 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

REGISTER OF DEEDS. 

James Smiley, Charles Redfield, E. I. Putnam, 
C. L. Gtimaer, O. E. Druetzer, W. B. Mumbrue, C. 
Caldwell, E. Selleck, Ole R. Olson, Ole O. Hole, J. 
H. Woodnorth, Henry Geibel, Rollin S. Burbank. 

COUNTY CLERK. 

Charles Gumaer, Mellen Chamberlain, Melzor 
Parker, Lucius Taft, A. Sorenson, M. F. Soren- 
son, W. S. Carr, A. J. Perkins, S. T. Ritchie, O. T. 
Hambleton. J. W. Dean. 

COUNTY TREASURER. 

G. W. Taggart, Simon C. Dow, C. O. Brown, 
Evan Townsend, E. Coolidge, G. L. Lord, C. M. 
Fenelon, W. J. Chamberlain, N. L. Nelson, Hans 
Benlick, A. L. Rowe. 

CLERK OF COURT. 

J. H. Jones, D. M. Coffen, H. C. Mumbrue, Win- 
field Scott, L. J. Perry, Charles Churchill, W. R. 
Binkleman, J. M. Hatch. 

SUPERINTENDENT OF SCHOOLS. 

S. C. Dow, J. Wornley, J. K. McGregor, E. G. 
Furlong, C. W. Packard, W. B. Mumbrue, J. 
Burnham, C. M. Bright, L. L. Wright, O.E. Wells, 
William Fowlie, F. S. Grubb. 

DISTRICT ATTORNEY. 

John Fordyce, M. H. Sessions, George A. La 
Dow, Myron Reed, C. S. Ogden, J. W. Carter, C. 
C. Kinsman, J. B. Strain, J. Wakefield, O. F. Weed, 
F. F. Wheeler, E. J. Goodrick, J. F. Dufur, F. C. 
Weed, A. L. Hutchinson, F. M. Guernsey. 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 217 

COUNTY SURVEYOR. 

G. W. Taggart, Ira Sumner, A. V. Balch, Myron 
Boughton, Ira Millerd, H. Cleaves, A. W. Johnson. 

SHERIFF. 

John M. Vaughn, Lyman Dayton, W. C. Carr, 
Barney Brown, W. G. Thompson, Asa Worden, O. 
Worden, C. M. Fenelon, Selah Cornwell, G. W. 
Taggart, L. S. Townsend, John Gordinier, J. W. 
Bingham, Selah Cornwell, A. J. Van Epps, O. H. 
Rowe, H. P. Briggs, Ole Sether, Andrew Williams, 
Ed. Williams. 

MEMBER OF ASSEMBLY. 

David Scott, L. Bostedo, B. F. Phillips, Andrew 
J. Dufur, Warner C. Carr, Melvin B. Patchin, 
Chester D. Combs, A. K. Osborn, Reuben Doud, E. 
P. Perry, J. W. Carter, M. H. Sessions, A. V. 
Balch, G. E. More, A. D. Smith. 

In 1873 the County was divided into two 
Assembly districts. 

First District— C: Caldwell, G. H. Calkins, Asa 
L. Baldwin, L. L. Post, S. A. Phillips, J. Wakefield, 
E. W. Brown, A. G. Nelson, William Masters, 
Evan Coolidge, A. R. Lea. 

Second District — C L. Rich, Lorenzo E. Dar- 
ling, Herman Naber, F. M. Guernsey, H. S. Dixon, 
J. Scanlon, Nels Anderson, C. A. Davis, George 
Warren, A. S. McDonald, Jacob Wipf, David 
Jennings. 



218 HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 

CHAPTER XXXY. 

List of the Postofficks in Waupaca County, with theik 
Location. 

P03T0FFICE. LOCATION. TOWN. 

Crystal Lake Section 27 Dayton 

Rural Section 10 Dayton 

Badger Section 30 Farmington 

Sheridan Section 8 .Farmington 

Scandinavia Village Scandinavia 

lol a Village lola 

Pe ters ville Section 21 .lola 

Hatton Section 25 Lind 

Lind Section 21 Lind 

Waupaca City Waupaca 

Ogdensburg Village St. Lawrence 

Big Falls Section 26 Wyoming 

Frem omt Village , Fremont 

Paradise Section 17 Fremont 

Wey au wega Village Weyauwega 

Baldwin's Mills Section 18 Royalton 

Roy alton Village Royalton 

Little Wolf. Section 34 Little Wolf 

Mana wa Village Little Wolf 

Sy mco Section 31 Union 

Marble Section 12 Union 

Dupont Section 27 Dupont 

M arion Village Dupont 

Readfield Section 23 Caledonia 

Ostrander Section 8 Mukwa 

Northport Village Mukwa 



HISTORY OF WAUPACA COUNTY. 219 

New London City Muk wa 

Nicholson Section 28 Bear Creek 

Clinton ville City Larrabee 

Buckbee Section 17 Larrabee 

Embarrass Village Mattes on 



CHAPTER XXXVL 

Strange Indian History — Indian Prophet "Walking 
Iron" AT New London Two Centuries ago— The Great 
Indian Village— The Propiikt's Harem. 

There is a strange chapter of Indian history con- 
nected with New London. Two hundred years 
ago here was a great Indian village, and here were 
the sacred Indian grounds. Here centered an insti- 
tution more mysterious than Mormonism. Here 
flourished an Indian prophet, the great "Walking 
Iron," whose harem exploits eclij)sed the wildest 
dreams of Brigham Young. 

Hither came Indians and maidens from all tribes 
in the Northwest, bringing costly presents, to 
obtain charms and medicines of the Prophet and 
his elders. All were brothers and friends inside 
the sacred grounds. The Prophet counted his 
wives by hundreds, and his followers by thousands. 

This singular institution lasted thirty years, and 
was ended with the exposure and death of "Walk- 
ing Iron." 

In later years the great Menominee chief Ah- 
kaw-met, had his village and planting grounds 
here, on the north side of the Wolf River. 









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